— By Plasteurope.com staff — 

European ABS importers are set to face higher anti-dumping duties for shipments from South Korea, according to a preliminary publication by the European Commission seen by Plasteurope.com. However, the proposed punitive tariffs on ABS from South Korea and Taiwan have not yet been finalised and currently only represent provisional proposals by the Commission. The final rates may still change ahead of their publication on 18 February 2026.

According to the Commission document, ABS supplied by Lotte Chemical could be subject to anti-dumping duties of 7.1%, up from the current provisional rate of 5.8%.

For ABS from other cooperating producers – which reportedly includes Kumho Petrochemical and Ineos Styrolution Korea – the duties could double to 8.6%.

Related: Ineos Styrolution plans to shutter French PS plant as ABS remains operational

Products from LG Chem, which currently face provisional duties of 3.7%, as well as all other South Korean suppliers (provisionally 5.8%), could see rates rise to 9.2%.

By contrast, the planned anti-dumping duties on ABS from Taiwan would remain largely unchanged. Only ChiMei and Grand Pacific Petrochemical would face a marginal increase to 10.9%, from 10.8% previously, while duties for Formosa and all other Taiwanese producers would remain at 21.7%.

Several European ABS producers have complained to the EU Commission that the provisional anti-dumping duties on South Korean imports were set too low. Producers from the East Asian country are currently grappling with substantial overcapacity following a sharp decline in ABS imports by China, a key export market.