EC imposes definitive AD duties on ABS imports from South Korea, Taiwan

The European Commission has announced definitive antidumping duties of up to 7.5% and 21.7% against South Korean and Taiwanese acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene imports, respectively, on Feb. 13.

Antidumping investigations into ABS imports were first initiated on Dec. 19, 2024, according to a release from the European Commission, following a complaint lodged by INEOS Styrolution. Thereafter, provisional duties were announced on July 23, 2025.

South Korean ABS producers received definitive duties between 5.2%-7.5%, higher than provisional duties ranging from 3.7%-5.8%. Taiwanese ABS producers received higher margins at 10.9%-21.7%, remaining mostly stable from provisional levels.

"Taiwan exports very little ABS to Europe now, so the [definitive duties] are not likely to have much of an impact," said a Northeast Asia-based producer.

Market participants in Europe expected little reaction from the announcement of the final decision.

One distributor in Europe said, "As the percentages are already more or less known to the market, I do not think that the official announcement will have a major impact, as most importers have already adjusted prices according to what we've known already for weeks."

Imported ABS from South Korea and Taiwan did slow down slightly in the later half of 2025, however, market participants did note that ABS imports from China increased. Chinese producers were heard to offer at spot prices which were more competitive than South Korean or Taiwanese producers.

Despite this, Chinese ABS still holds a relatively small share of the European market. This is due to customers remaining hesitant to try out new producers to avoid risking the quality of finished ABS products, according to a European producer.

Definitive antidumping duties

Source: The European Commission