Wanhua Chemical and Junzheng Group named! India initiates anti-subsidy investigation on Chinese PVC; 44 Chinese enterprises listed.

The fundamental supply-demand dynamics underpin the current trade friction. On the demand side, India’s annual PVC consumption stands at approximately 4 million tons, while its domestic production capacity is only 1.59 million tons—resulting in an import dependency exceeding 70%. Chinese calcium carbide-based PVC products closely match India’s infrastructure and agricultural sector requirements and have long held the top position among India’s PVC import sources. In 2024, mainland China accounted for a staggering 41% of India’s PVC imports—far surpassing Japan (14%), South Korea (11%), and the United States (9%). From China’s export data perspective, exports of PVC to India have achieved leapfrog growth. In 2020, China’s PVC exports to India totaled only 45,300 tons; by 2025, this figure had surged to 1.5141 million tons—a 13.62% year-on-year increase—and represented 39.6% of China’s total PVC exports (3.8232 million tons), making India China’s largest single-market destination for PVC. Entering 2026, India remains a core export hub: from January to June alone, domestic PVC resin exports to India reached 90,900 tons—30% of total exports of this product category during the same period—underscoring its prominent market position. India’s trade restrictions on Chinese PVC are intensifying layer by layer. India’s trade constraints against Chinese PVC are not isolated incidents but part of a coordinated, multi-tool policy package. Looking back, India launched an anti-dumping investigation into Chinese PVC suspension resin in March 2024. In August 2025, it issued a final affirmative ruling, proposing anti-dumping duties of USD 122–232 per ton on enterprises from mainland China. However, constrained by domestic raw material shortages and downstream industry pressure, this anti-dumping measure was never implemented. Meanwhile, after nearly 20 months of protracted negotiations, India’s mandatory BIS certification policy was formally abolished in November 2025. The current initiation of an anti-subsidy investigation thus represents the third round of trade protectionist measures launched by India’s domestic PVC industry—following the failure of both the anti-dumping and BIS certification tools. Since 2026, India has rolled out a series of dense trade restrictions targeting Chinese PVC: an anti-subsidy investigation was initiated in February; due to geopolitical conflicts, India temporarily reduced the base import tariff on PVC from 7.5% to zero starting in April, with the zero-tariff policy extended through June 30; and on July 24, India officially introduced new short-term import control regulations for suspension-grade PVC, implementing a Minimum Import Price (MIP) regime pegged to a CIF India price ceiling of USD 766 per ton—effective for six months. While the anti-subsidy investigation scrutinizes subsidy margins, the MIP directly locks in the floor price for imports—simultaneously applying pressure on two critical dimensions: subsidy-related tax rates and transaction prices—thereby squeezing the export space for Chinese PVC. What would be the industry impact if anti-subsidy duties are imposed? The initiation of India’s anti-subsidy investigation will first and foremost hit Chinese PVC exporters. Higher tariffs will directly raise export costs for domestic enterprises, eroding their price competitiveness in the Indian market. Given that India accounts for nearly 40% of China’s total PVC exports, there is real risk of market share erosion, with some downstream orders potentially shifting to alternative overseas suppliers such as those in the U.S. or South Korea. From the perspective of supply-demand structural shifts, disrupted exports to India could cause part of the supply to flow back into the domestic market, further exacerbating domestic supply pressures.

U.S. places certain Chinese goods on priority enforcement list; India raises tariff rates, etc.—major developments in foreign trade!

Effective August 29, all applicable duties will be levied on imported goods shipped to the United States via methods other than the international postal network, where the value is equal to or less than USD 800 and would otherwise qualify for the de minimis exemption. For parcels shipped via the international postal system, duties will be assessed based on either ad valorem or specific (per-unit) rates. Steel, copper, lithium, caustic soda, and jujubes added to high-priority enforcement list On August 19, 2025, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) unexpectedly announced the inclusion of five categories—Chinese steel, copper, lithium, caustic soda, and jujubes—into the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA)’s key enforcement sectors. In terms of product attributes, this revision precisely targets China’s industrial strengths. Steel, copper, and caustic soda serve as core raw materials for China’s basic manufacturing and new-energy industrial chains, widely used in infrastructure, home appliances, and energy storage applications; lithium—the critical element in electric vehicle batteries—directly challenges China’s global competitiveness in the new-energy sector. According to official U.S. data, from January to July 2025, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) intercepted over 16,700 shipments valued at nearly USD 3.7 billion originating from China, with approximately 10,000 shipments denied entry. With these newly added categories, Chinese exporting enterprises will face more stringent scrutiny: port inspection rates at U.S. ports are rising, customs clearance cycles are lengthening, and associated demurrage and detention charges are increasing accordingly. Expanded steel and aluminum tariff measures enter into force on August 18 On August 15, the Trump administration announced an expansion of its 50% tariff on steel and aluminum imports to cover hundreds of derivative products. In an announcement published in the Federal Register that evening, the U.S. Department of Commerce stated that the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) had added 407 product codes to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS), subjecting these items to additional tariffs due to their steel and aluminum content. The notice clarified that non-steel-and-aluminum components of these products will be subject to the tariff rates imposed by President Trump on goods from specific countries. The expanded tariff list takes effect on August 18. India Adjustment of anti-dumping duty rates on PVC: Chinese PVC enterprises face significantly higher duties On August 14, India’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry issued a notification announcing a final affirmative anti-dumping ruling on polyvinyl chloride (PVC) suspension resin originating from or imported from China, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Thailand, the United States, and other countries and regions. It recommended imposing anti-dumping duties for a five-year period on the subject goods from these countries and regions. This decision has become a pivotal variable reshaping the global PVC trade landscape. Compared with the preliminary ruling issued in October 2024, the anti-dumping duties imposed on Chinese PVC enterprises have been substantially increased, whereas duties on enterprises from other countries and regions have generally decreased—creating a pronounced ‘duty differential’. This unexpectedly severe outcome not only directly impacts Chinese PVC exports to India but also—against the backdrop of rising global trade protectionism and imbalanced global PVC supply and demand—forces China’s PVC industry to accelerate its search for breakthrough strategies. Suspension of cotton import tariffs India has suspended its 11% import tariff on cotton, effective until September 30. This temporary exemption, introduced by the Indian government on the evening of August 18, signals India’s willingness to address U.S. concerns regarding agricultural tariffs. U.S. cotton farmers stand to benefit, while India’s textile and apparel industry gains much-needed breathing room.

UPDATE: India recommends provisional countervailing duties on China PVC

5 days ago

India’s Directorate General of Trade Remedies recommended provisional countervailing duties of $83.72–$143.82 per tonne on Chinese PVC imports, citing injury from subsidized shipments. The investigation covers carbide and ethylene-based resins used in construction and infrastructure sectors.

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UPDATE: India recommends provisional countervailing duties on China PVC

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