Anti-dumping law: what importers of Chinese tyres need to check
What is anti-dumping law? Anti-dumping law allows the European Union to apply additional duties to certain imported products. The objective is to correct a situation where goods are exported at prices considered abnormally low. When these prices cause injury to European industry, the EU can impose anti-dumping duties. In other words, this is not a general tax on all Chinese products. It is a targeted measure. It applies to specific products, specific origins and, in some cases, specific producers. To better understand this regulation, we will use a concrete and current example: the anti-dumping measures targeting certain new tyres originating from China. Why are Chinese tyres concerned? The European Union opened an investigation in May 2025 into Chinese tyres for passenger cars and light commercial vehicles. The investigation followed a complaint from the European tyre industry, which considered that these imports were being sold at unfairly low prices and were causing injury to European producers. Reuters reported that the European market for passenger car and light commercial vehicle tyres was worth more than €18 billion in 2024. Another anti-subsidy investigation was also launched in November 2025 into certain Chinese tyres. According to Reuters, the complaint mentioned a 51% increase in Chinese imports since 2021, with prices 30% to 65% lower than those of European producers. The objective of the measure is therefore to restore fairer competitive conditions. Which tyres are concerned? Anti-dumping law targets new rubber tyres originating from China. The products concerned include tyres for: The customs codes mentioned are: The key point is the real origin of the tyre. A tyre purchased from an intermediary outside China may still be concerned if it was manufactured in China. By contrast, used tyres, retreaded tyres or products outside the scope of the measure must be analysed separately. What are the anti-dumping rates? The duties vary depending on the Chinese producer. Producer category Anti-dumping duty Hankook producers concerned in China 4.3% Cooperating Chinese producers 24.4% Non-cooperating or not clearly identified producers 45.3% The rate can therefore vary significantly depending on the manufacturer. For an importer, this is not a detail. On a customs value of €100,000, this represents: The difference can completely change the margin of an operation. Why is the Chinese producer so important? This is the most sensitive point. The anti-dumping rate does not depend only on the seller. It depends on the actual producer of the tyre. If the importer buys through a trading company, distributor or intermediary, they must still be able to clearly identify the production plant. Otherwise, the maximum rate may apply. To reduce this risk, the documents must clearly indicate: A vague commercial name is not always enough. Customs authorities must be able to understand who actually manufactured the tyres. Which documents should be prepared before shipment? Anti-dumping law should not be managed only when the goods arrive. It must be anticipated before the purchase and before shipment. To secure the file, the importer should check several documents: The most important point is consistency. The invoice, packing list, origin and producer information must all tell the same story. If the invoice only mentions a seller, without identifying the actual manufacturer, the file may become fragile. What is the impact on import costs? Anti-dumping duties are added to other costs. They do not replace standard customs duties. The full landed cost must therefore be simulated before confirming the order. Mini-diagnosis: are your imports exposed? Your company should ask the right questions before placing an order. Answer yes or no: If several answers are uncertain, the file should be reviewed before shipment. Common mistakes to avoid What should importers do now? Companies concerned by these measures should act before the next shipment. The right method is to start by identifying all Chinese tyre flows. Then, check the actual producers. Next, simulate the financial impact based on the applicable rate. Finally, update purchasing documents, invoices and sales conditions. For some importers, it may also be necessary to review: In some cases, an alternative source outside China may be relevant. But it must be assessed carefully: price, availability, quality, compliance, lead time and production capacity all matter. SECURE YOUR IMPORTS Nexline’s analysis For a company, the risk is not limited to paying an additional duty. The real risk is discovering too late that the actual cost of the operation is no longer the cost expected at the beginning. That is why the file must be secured before shipment. The producer must be identified.The rate must be simulated.The documents must be consistent.The impact on the margin must be anticipated. At Nexline, the objective is to help importers make the right decisions before the goods are exported. This includes analysing flows, checking documentation and simulating the customs impact. The goal is simple: to prevent a poorly anticipated anti-dumping duty from becoming a cost, delay or profitability issue. In brief
Who is responsible in an international shipment?
Several parties are involved in an international shipment. There is usually a seller, a buyer, a carrier, a freight forwarder, a customs representative and, in some cases, an insurer or a warehouse. But when a document is missing, when a declaration is incorrect or when goods are held by customs, one question quickly arises: Who is responsible? The answer depends on several factors: the commercial contract, the chosen Incoterm, the role of each party, the documents provided and the type of customs representation used. For a company, this is a key issue. An international shipment is not secured only by choosing the right transport solution. It is also secured by clearly defining responsibilities. Why does this matter? Customs is not just an administrative formality. It is a step that can directly affect the timing, cost and compliance of an international shipment. Before goods can enter or leave a territory, they must be declared according to the applicable rules. In the European Union, a customs declaration is an official document that provides details of the goods being imported or exported. In France, customs authorities also specify that customs formalities can be carried out by a customs representative, either under direct or indirect representation. The problem is that many companies do not always know who is responsible for what. As a result, documents arrive too late, the customs code is not properly validated, the Incoterm is misunderstood or the role of the freight forwarder is overestimated. In these situations, the shipment can slow down. The key parties in an international shipment To understand responsibilities, you first need to identify the roles. In most operations, five parties are at the centre of the process. 1. The exporter The exporter is the company that sells or ships the goods from the country of departure. They normally know the product, its origin, composition, value and commercial documents. In an international shipment, the exporter generally has to provide the information required for the goods to leave the country. This may include: Depending on the chosen Incoterm, the exporter may also be responsible for export customs clearance. 2. The importer The importer is the company that brings the goods into the country of destination. Its role is often underestimated. However, the importer is generally responsible for ensuring that the import operation is compliant in its own country. It must check that the goods can legally enter the country, that the documents are consistent and that duties and taxes are correctly handled. The importer must specifically check: If this information is incorrect or incomplete, the declaration may be corrected, delayed or subject to customs control. 3. The carrier The carrier is responsible for the physical movement of the goods. This may be a shipping line, an airline, a road haulier, a rail operator or a multimodal transport provider. Its role is to transport the goods according to the agreed conditions. The carrier may also provide certain transport-related data: However, the carrier is not automatically responsible for the commercial or customs content of the goods. It does not always know the exact composition of the product, its customs classification or the specific regulatory obligations that may apply. 4. The freight forwarder The freight forwarder organises the international shipment. It coordinates the different parts of the chain: transport, documents, partners, formalities, tracking and, in some cases, insurance or storage. Its role is operational. It can help the company choose a route, compare transport modes, anticipate lead times and prepare documents. But the freight forwarder does not replace the company in all its responsibilities. It works with the information provided by the client, the supplier and the other parties involved. If the initial data is incorrect or incomplete, the freight forwarder can alert the company, but it cannot invent the correct product information. This is an essential point. 5. The customs representative The customs representative carries out customs formalities. In France, a customs representative can act in two ways: This distinction is important, because it can affect the level of responsibility of both the representative and the company being represented. How do Incoterms influence customs responsibilities? Incoterms define how costs, risks and obligations are divided between the seller and the buyer in an international shipment. They specify who organises the transport, who handles certain formalities, who bears the risks and who pays the costs related to the operation. Choosing the right Incoterm is therefore essential to avoid misunderstandings. Responsibilities are not the same under EXW, FOB, CIF, DAP or DDP. The Incoterm must be confirmed before shipment, based on the goods, the countries involved, the transport mode, the experience of the parties and the customs constraints. What are the most common Incoterms in an international shipment? Each Incoterm distributes responsibilities differently between the seller and the buyer. Here are the most common cases to know. EXW: the buyer takes on almost the entire organisation Under EXW, the seller simply makes the goods available at its premises. The buyer must then organise collection, inland transport in the country of departure, export formalities, international transport, import customs clearance, duties and taxes, and final delivery. For a French buyer, EXW may look attractive because the purchase price is often lower. But it is also one of the most demanding Incoterms. Its main advantage is control. The buyer can choose its providers, negotiate transport and manage the operation from end to end. But the limits are significant. The buyer must handle formalities in the country of departure, coordinate collection from the supplier, manage export documents and take on more operational risk. In practice, EXW can be risky if the buyer does not have a reliable partner locally. Example: a French company buys goods under EXW Shenzhen. The supplier prepares the products at its factory. But the French buyer must organise everything else: collection, export documents, international freight, import into France and final delivery. FOB: the seller manages the goods until loading on board the vessel Under FOB, the seller is responsible for the goods