Current Affairs
February 18, 2026
EU ADD on BDO
EU adds hefty anti-dumping duties to 1,4-butanediol
By Anthony King17 February 2026
Imports from China, US and Saudi Arabia will see tariffs of 52–143%
The European Commission has introduced massive antidumping duties on imports of 1,4-butadiene (BDO), an important intermediate molecule in chemical manufacturing. The provisional duties are 106–114% on all imports originating in China, 52% for all imports from Saudi Arabia and 136–143% on all imports originating in the US.
Source: © Wirestock Creators/Shutterstock
1,4-butanediol is a key intermediate and component of in various coatings, polymers and solvents
‘This is a step change in the EU ramping up its defenses against dumping,’ says Richard Carter, an independent consultant to the chemical industry and former BASF manager. ‘My hope is that this is the start of a more aggressive stance.’
The commission’s 70-page report sets out the evidence and decision to impose duties. BDO is used in various coatings, polymers and solvents. Four companies generate BDO in the EU directly, employing around 500 staff in Germany, the Netherlands and Italy. The volume of imports from the three named countries increased from around 49,000 tonnes in 2018 to around 89,000 tonnes in 2024, an increase of 82%. Ineos (one of the four EU producers) has filed a raft of antidumping cases with the European Commission, including for BDO.
The problem, says Carter, is the buildup of massive overcapacity in China, allowing Chinese producers set prices that others must follow. Chinese capacity is now nine times larger than the EU, he adds. ‘This is part of an onslaught to dominate western chemical markets, in my view,’ says Carter. ‘Trade flows show that European producers have almost switched off their plants and are bringing in BDO from their own facilities in the US.’
Ineos has also filed complaints for polyvinyl chloride, monoethylene gylcol, terephthalic acid, butyl acetate and polyolefins. In a past statement, it complained about the staffing levels and the response times in the commission’s antidumping investigations.
Anti-dumping investigations typically run for 12 to 15 months. ‘It will take 3-6 months for the provisional duties to be applied, then another 6-9 months for the final duties to be applied, if passed,’ says Mohamed Chilmeran, petrochemical analyst at Wood Mackenzie.
Parties told the Commission that EU industry was simply not competitive enough due to its high costs, but this was rejected. The industry was profitable in 2021 and 2022. ‘The root cause of the injury was increasing volumes of dumped imports from the countries concerned,’ said the report, ‘which depressed BDO prices to levels which did not permit the Union industry to recover its costs and increased the cost of production per unit of the Union from lower sales and production levels.’
February 16, 2026
Heavy Truck Sales
This is usually an early indicator on economic growth prospects . . .
February 12, 2026
U.S. Total Vehicle Sales History
January 29, 2026
Positive News in Manufacturing
US Factory Orders Surged In November
by Tyler Durden
Thursday, Jan 29, 2026 – 10:06 AM
While sentiment is sagging to multi-year lows, ‘hard’ data is pushing growth forecasts higher (GDPNOW) and holding stocks at record highs.
This morning we get a fresh glimpse at America’s manufacturing segment – hard data – with US Factory Orders (admittedly for November) surging 2.7% MoM (significantly better than the +1.6% MoM expected), bouncing strongly from the 1.3% MoM decline in October.
This dragged orders up 5.4% year-over-year…
Source: Bloomberg
This was the biggest monthly advance since May 2025.
Core Orders (ex transportation) rose 0.2% MoM, also rebounding from a 0.1% MoM decline in October…
Source: Bloomberg
The final print for Durable Goods Orders were all in line with the flash prints.
Of course, this data remains significantly stale (and we face the possibility of another government shutdown to screw things up again), but overall, the trend is your friend (and supported by strong jobless claims data).
https://www.zerohedge.com/economics/us-factory-orders-surged-november
January 25, 2026
Plywood Anti-Dumping Update
Commerce Department rules in favor of preliminary countervailing duties in hardwood plywood cases
By Larry Adams
January 22, 2026 | 8:49 am CST
Prevailing countervailing duties on hardwood plywood imports from China, Indonesia and Vietnam have been calculated.
On January 16, the U.S. Department of Commerce released its preliminary affirmative countervailing duty findings on hardwood and decorative plywood after identifying significant subsidies provided by the governments of China, Indonesia, and Vietnam, reports the Decorative Hardwoods Association.
Commerce calculated preliminary countervailing duties of 81.34% on imports from China, 2.40% to 128.66% on imports from Indonesia, and 4.37% to 26.75% on imports from Vietnam. These rates will be added to existing tariffs on products from these countries and will be charged as soon as the decision is published in the Federal Register.
In addition, preliminary antidumping rates are scheduled to be announced in late February 2026. Final rulings are expected in early May.
The Coalition for Fair Trade in Hardwood Plywood (Coalition), representing a substantial majority of the American hardwood and decorative plywood industry, commends Commerce for its decision to impose these preliminary duties to remedy the unfair trade practices of China, Indonesia, and Vietnam.
“The domestic hardwood and decorative plywood industry has been harmed for decades by unfairly traded imports from China, Indonesia, and Vietnam. Friday’s decision by the Department of Commerce is another critical step in leveling the playing field for American hardwood and decorative plywood manufacturers,” said Timothy C. Brightbill, lead counsel to the Coalition and co-chair of Wiley’s International Trade Practice.
As soon as Commerce’s preliminary determination is published in the Federal Register, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will begin collecting preliminary duties on entries of hardwood and decorative plywood from China, Indonesia, and Vietnam. Commerce also found that critical circumstances exist with respect to imports of hardwood and decorative plywood from China. As a result, duties will be collected on entries of hardwood and decorative plywood from China that were entered on or after 90 days before publication of the preliminary determination.
Commerce’s countervailing duty investigations will continue over the coming months, with the agency further investigating subsidies—including newly alleged subsidy programs—received by the Chinese, Indonesian, and Vietnamese industries. Commerce’s final determination is currently scheduled for early May 2026. Commerce is also simultaneously investigating antidumping duty allegations on hardwood and decorative plywood from China, Indonesia, and Vietnam. The preliminary antidumping rates are scheduled to be announced in late February 2026.
The duties that will now be imposed are assessed on the importer of record of the covered merchandise. Duty evasion, absorption, and circumvention are illegal and closely monitored by CBP, in conjunction with the Commerce Department. Counsel for the Coalition is working closely with U.S. Customs and Border Protection to share evidence of duty evasion, which is leading to heightened scrutiny of imports.
Everchem Updates Archive 
Sign Up for Email Updates
