Within the span of a few weeks in March and April 2026, the European Commission published six implementing regulations imposing or amending anti-dumping duties on imports from Brazil, China, Bahrain, Egypt, Thailand, South Korea, and Mexico. The measures cover products as diverse as softwood plywood, glass fibre, steel, pipe fittings, polyamide yarns, and terephthalic acid - and deploy nearly the full toolkit available under the EU's basic anti-dumping regulation, from provisional duties and definitive measures to anti-circumvention extensions and new exporter treatment.
Definitive Duties: Plywood and Glass Fibre
Two of the six regulations impose definitive anti-dumping duties, closing investigations that had been running since early 2025.
Softwood plywood from Brazil (Regulation 2026/822): The Commission imposed a definitive anti-dumping duty of 5.4% on softwood plywood from Brazil, definitively collecting the provisional duty imposed in November 2025. 1Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/822 imposing a definitive anti-dumping duty on imports of softwood plywood originating in Brazil The investigation, initiated in March 2025 following a complaint by the Softwood Plywood Consortium, confirmed material injury to the Union industry resulting from dumped imports. Notably, the injury margin was found at 94.0%, far above the dumping margin, meaning the duty was set at the lower dumping level in accordance with the lesser duty rule under Article 7(2) of Regulation 2016/1036. One Brazilian exporting producer, Nereu Rodrigues & Cia Ltda, was found not to be dumping and is excluded from the duty. 1Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/822 imposing a definitive anti-dumping duty on imports of softwood plywood originating in Brazil
Glass fibre products from Bahrain, Egypt, and Thailand (Regulation 2026/831): Definitive anti-dumping duties of 11.8% (Bahrain), 11.0% (Egypt), and between 4.5% and 23.4% (Thailand) were imposed on continuous filament glass fibre products (GFR). 2Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/831 imposing a definitive anti-dumping duty on imports of certain continuous filament glass fibre products (GFR) originating in Bahrain, Egypt and Thailand This case was procedurally unusual: the Commission did not impose provisional measures, moving directly to definitive duties after informing parties of its intention not to act at the provisional stage. The Egypt chapter proved particularly complex, as the Commission applied Article 2(5) of the basic regulation to adjust the exporting producer Jushi Egypt's cost data, concluding that the prolonged divergence between official and parallel Egyptian pound exchange rates meant the company's accounting records did not reasonably reflect production costs. 2Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/831 imposing a definitive anti-dumping duty on imports of certain continuous filament glass fibre products (GFR) originating in Bahrain, Egypt and Thailand
China in Focus: Circumvention, Provisional Duties, and New Exporter Treatment
Three of the six measures target Chinese products, reflecting the broader trend of intensifying EU trade defence activity vis-à-vis China.
Pipe cast fittings - anti-circumvention extension (Regulation 2026/709): The Commission extended the existing 57.8% definitive anti-dumping duty on threaded malleable cast iron pipe fittings from China to imports of unthreaded fittings, after finding that importers were circumventing the duty by importing unthreaded parts and threading them in the Union. 3Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/709 extending the definitive anti-dumping duty on threaded pipe cast fittings to unthreaded fittings originating in China The investigation found that imports of unthreaded fittings constituted 66% of total Union consumption of the finished product during the reporting period. Four importers were granted exemptions after demonstrating they were not engaged in circumvention practices under Article 13(2) of the basic regulation, while one - Jianzhi Technology, related to a Chinese exporting producer - was denied an exemption. 3Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/709 extending the definitive anti-dumping duty on threaded pipe cast fittings to unthreaded fittings originating in China
Polyamide yarns - provisional duties (Regulation 2026/734): Provisional anti-dumping duties of 57.7% (Eversun Group) and 90.1% (Highsun Group) were imposed on polyamide yarn imports from China, with a residual duty of 90.1% for non-cooperating exporters. 4Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/734 imposing a provisional anti-dumping duty on imports of yarns of polyamide originating in China The Commission applied Article 2(6a) of the basic regulation, constructing normal value on the basis of undistorted costs in Türkiye as the representative country, having found significant distortions in the Chinese economy affecting the sector. Price undercutting margins of 42-48% were established. 4Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/734 imposing a provisional anti-dumping duty on imports of yarns of polyamide originating in China
Tin-plated steel - new exporter treatment (Regulation 2026/843): Linqing Hengtai Metal Materials Co., Ltd was granted new exporting producer treatment (NEPT), receiving the 24.6% cooperating non-sampled duty rate rather than the 62.3% country-wide residual duty on tin-plated steel products from China. 5Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/843 amending Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/1042 on tin-plated steel from China — new exporting producer treatment While this amendment is narrower in scope, it illustrates that the EU's anti-dumping framework continues to differentiate between Chinese producers on a case-by-case basis.
Terephthalic Acid: A New Front Against Korea and Mexico
Regulation 2026/801 opens a new front in EU trade defence by imposing provisional anti-dumping duties on terephthalic acid (TA) from South Korea and Mexico. Provisional duties were set at 6.2% for cooperating Korean exporters and 25.7% for all Mexican imports, after the Commission found the Union industry had been selling below cost of production throughout the entire period considered, with profitability reaching -21% in the investigation period. 6Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/801 imposing provisional anti-dumping duties on imports of terephthalic acid originating in Korea and Mexico
The case is notable for several reasons. The Union TA production capacity halved during the period considered as multiple facilities shut down. One Korean exporter, Taekwang Industrial, was found not to be dumping and is excluded from the measures. For Mexico, the Commission applied facts available under Article 18 after no Mexican exporter cooperated - resulting in a significantly higher duty rate. The Commission concluded that measures were in the Union interest despite opposition from downstream PET users, several of whom were themselves loss-making. 6Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/801 imposing provisional anti-dumping duties on imports of terephthalic acid originating in Korea and Mexico
Broader Context: Trade Defence at Scale
In 2024, the European Commission launched 33 new trade defence investigations - the highest number since 2006 - of which 29 were anti-dumping cases. 7Annual Report on EU Trade Defence: Activities reach record high in 2024 — European Commission The current batch of regulations confirms that the pace of enforcement output remains elevated into 2026, with measures spanning multiple continents and industrial sectors.
Several cross-cutting themes emerge:
- China remains the primary target, but the geographic reach of EU anti-dumping action is broadening. Brazil, Bahrain, Egypt, Thailand, South Korea, and Mexico are all subject to new or amended measures in this batch alone.
- Anti-circumvention enforcement is becoming more sophisticated. The pipe fittings case demonstrates the Commission's willingness to extend duties to semi-finished products used in completion operations in the Union, while also granting targeted exemptions where companies prove they are not engaged in circumvention.
- Article 2(6a) methodology for China continues to shape dumping calculations. The polyamide yarns case is the latest in a long line of investigations in which the Commission constructs normal value using representative country data, bypassing Chinese domestic prices entirely.
- Exchange rate distortions are emerging as a distinct challenge. The glass fibre case against Egypt saw the Commission reject the exporting producer's accounting records due to the gap between official and parallel exchange rates - a methodology question that may recur in other investigations involving countries with managed or unstable currencies.
What to Watch
For compliance officers and importers, the immediate priorities are clear: assess exposure to the newly imposed or extended duties, review TARIC codes, and ensure customs declarations are updated. For provisional measures (polyamide yarns, terephthalic acid), definitive determinations are expected in the coming months and duty levels may change.
More broadly, the sustained pace of EU trade defence activity signals that the Commission views anti-dumping and anti-circumvention tools as central to its trade and economic security agenda. Businesses in affected supply chains should anticipate continued scrutiny - and budget for the compliance costs that follow.
Bild: Viktor SOLOMONIK / Unsplash