EU Imposes Anti-Dumping Duties on PTA from South Korea and Mexico

On August 10, 2026, the European Commission imposed definitive five-year anti-dumping duties on imports of purified terephthalic acid (PTA) from South Korea and Mexico . The action caps a year-long investigation prompted by a complaint from Ineos Aromatics, a subsidiary of Ineos Group Ltd., alleging that unfairly priced imports were injuring the EU domestic industry .

The measure targets a critical industrial chemical: PTA is the main feedstock for producing polyethylene terephthalate (PET), the plastic used in beverage bottles, food packaging, and polyester fibers . The EU PET market was estimated at roughly 6.15 million tons in 2026, and PET accounted for approximately 64.35% of global PTA demand in 2025 .

Tariff Rates

Country	Duty Rate Range	Notes
South Korea	6.1% – 13.3%	Rate varies by company
Mexico	24.1%	Single rate for all Mexican exporters

The rates were established under Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/801, with provisional duties first imposed on April 9, 2026, and definitive duties published on August 10, 2026 .

Complainant and the EU Industry

The complaint was filed by Ineos Aromatics, representing EU producers in Belgium, Poland, and Spain . The investigation was initiated on August 13, 2025, and covered the period from July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2025 .

Why Did the EU Find Injury?

The Commission's investigation concluded that imports of PTA from both South Korea and Mexico were entering the EU at dumped prices, causing material injury to the EU industry . Specific findings included:

• Dumped imports captured market share from EU producers.
• Price undercutting depressed domestic selling prices.
• The negative impact reduced EU producers' profitability, sales volumes, and overall financial health.

The investigation determined that without corrective duties, the injury would continue or worsen .

How This Fits into the EU's 2026 Trade Defense Wave

The PTA anti-dumping measure is part of a significant escalation in EU anti-dumping enforcement in 2026, particularly targeting industrial chemicals. Other notable measures taken in March–August 2026 include:

• Adipic acid (China): Definitive duties of 29.1% to 42.3% imposed in May 2026 .
• Phosphorous acid (China): Definitive duty of 122.8% imposed in March 2026 .
• BDO (1,4-butanediol) (China, Saudi Arabia, USA): Duties ranging from 52.4% to 142.5% imposed in June 2026 .
• PBAT (China): A new anti-dumping investigation was opened in June 2026 .

According to MLex, as of mid-2026 the Commission had already opened seven dumping investigations targeting Chinese goods alone, putting 2026 on track to exceed the previous year's figures . The highest duty rate among these chemical measures reached 142.5% on BDO imports from the United States . This wave of actions reflects the EU's strategy to protect domestic chemical manufacturers from what it views as unfairly priced imports amid global overcapacity in key petrochemical sectors .