EU Imposes Hefty Tariffs on Chinese Construction Lifting Machines

The European Commission has levied duties up to 66.7% on Chinese mobile access equipment, alleging unfair subsidies and underpricing. This protective measure is part of broader EU trade actions against Chinese imports, aiming to bolster local industry against competitive pressures from subsidized Chinese products.

The European Commission announced on Monday the imposition of duties as high as 66.7% on Chinese imports of construction worker lifting machines. This move comes after a conclusion that Chinese manufacturers benefited from unfair subsidies and sold their products at artificially low prices, undercutting EU markets.

The new tariffs on mobile access equipment (MAE) are set to range from 20.6% to 66.7%, aiming to shield EU-based producers in a market valued at over 1 billion euros annually. This action is part of an ongoing series of EU anti-dumping and anti-subsidy measures aimed at various Chinese imports, including recent probes into Chinese electric vehicles.

The investigation highlighted how Chinese producers, such as Hunan Sinoboom Intelligent Equipment Co, Zoomlion Intelligent Access Machinery, and Zhejiang Dingli Machinery Co, benefited from preferential financing and below-market resource rates. These advantages helped them capture 41% market share by October 2022, up from 29% in 2020, with products priced 20% lower than local rivals like Haulotte and Manitou.

(With inputs from agencies.)