China to hike tariffs on 106 US products, including chemicals

SINGAPORE (ICIS)–China has decided to increase tariffs on 106 products originated from US by 25%, with the chemicals sector one of the key targets of the measures  according to a statement from China’s Ministry of Finance on Wednesday.

The counter-measure from China side covers soybean, cars and chemicals worth some $48bn of US imports. The implementation date will be announced separately, depending on US measures against China, according to the Chinese Ministry.

The China list has 44 industrial and chemical raw materials, including butane, polycarbonate, epoxy, acrylonitrile and others. (see table below)

The US on Tuesday released a proposed list of products imported from China that could face 25% additional tariffs, covering 1,333 products valuing some $50bn in aerospace, information and communication technology, robotics and machinery. The Chinese Ministry said that such move is wholly against WTO trade principles and values, and infringes China’s legitimate rights, threatening China’s development interests.

Earlier today, China’s Ministry of Commerce said that China would retaliate US tariff decision with the same intensity and scale.

The escalating friction between the two biggest economies is expected to boost prices of a range of products beyond those in the lists, industry sources said.

HS code	product description
27111200	Liquid propane
39074000	Primary shape polycarbonate
38151200	Supported catalysts with noble metals and their compounds as actives
38220010	Diagnostic or experimental reagents attached to the backing, except those under tarriff code of 32.02,32.06
38249999	Other chemicals and chemical products that are not listed in other tariff codes
38248700	products listed in Note 3 of this Chapter’s sub-chapter containing perfluorooctane sulfonic acid and its salts, perfluorooctyl sulfonamide or perfluorooctane sulfonyl chloride
38248800	products listed in Note 3 of this Chapter containing four, five, six, seven or octabromodiphenyl ethers
38248500	Contains 1,2,3,4,5,6-HCH (6,6,6) (ISO), including lindane (ISO, INN)
38249100	Mainly from dimethyl (5-ethyl-2-methyl-2oxo-1,3,2-dioxaphosphorin-5-yl)methylphosphonate and double [(5-ethyl- Mixtures and products of 2-methyl-2oxo-1,3,2-dioxaphosphorin-5-yl)methyl]methylphosphonate (FRC-1)
38248600	products listed in Note 3 of this Chapter containing PeCB (ISO) or Hexachlorobenzene (ISO)
38248400	Contains aldrin (ISO), toxaphene (ISO), chlordane (ISO), chlordecone (ISO), DDT (ISO) [Diptrix (INN), 1,1,1-trichloro-2,2 – Bis(4-chlorophenyl)ethane], Dieldrin (ISO, INN), Endosulfan (ISO), Endrin (ISO), Heptachlor (ISO), or Mirex (ISO), products listed in Note 3 of this Chapter
38151900	Other carrier catalysts
39079999	Other polyester
38159000	Other unrepresented reaction initiators, accelerators
39011000	Polyethylene with a primary shape specific gravity < 0.94
29261000	Acrylonitrile
34039900	Lubricants (exclude petroleum or oil extracted from bituminous minerals)
38220090	Whether or not attached to a diagnostic or experimental formulation reagent on the backing, except items under tariff code 32.02,32.06
38112900	Lubricating oil additive without oil or oil extracted from bituminous minerals
39073000	Primary shape epoxy
39206200	Polyethylene terephthalate sheet foil flat strip
39199090	Other self-adhesive plastic plates, sheets, films and other materials
39209990	Other plastic non-foam plastic sheets
39269090	Other plastic products
39019090	Other primary shape ethylene polymers
39014090	Other ethylene-α-olefin copolymers, specific gravity less than 0.94
39069090	Other primary shape acrylic polymers
39041090	Other primary shapes of pure polyvinyl chloride
39100000	Primary polysiloxane
39119000	Other primary polysulfides, polysulfones, and other new products not specified in other code in Note 3 to Chapter 39
39219090	Unlisted Plastic Plates, Sheets, Films, Foil and Strips
29031500	1,2-dichloroethane (ISO)
40023990	Halogenated butyl rubber sheet, sheet, tape
29349990	Other heterocyclic compounds
35069190	Adhesives based on other rubber or plastics
39081011	Polyamide-6,6 slices
39072090	Other primary-shaped polyethers
39121100	Primary-shaped, unplasticized cellulose acetate
39089010	Aromatic polyamides and their copolymers
39089020	Semi-aromatic polyamides and their copolymers
39089090	Primary polyamides of other shapes
39201090	Other vinyl polymer plates, sheets, tapes
34021300	Non-ionic organic surfactants
34031900	Lubricants (containing oil or oil extracted from bituminous minerals and <70% by weight)

Pictured: An investor at a stock market in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province (Source: Xinhua News Agency/REX/Shutterstock)
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