EU imposes steep import duty on Chinese vanillin

Chinese vanillin is set to become significantly more expensive in the European market. The European Commission has introduced a definitive anti-dumping duty of 131.1 percent. With this measure, Brussels aims to prevent European producers from falling victim to unfair trading practices.

Synthetic version dominates the market

Vanillin plays a key role in flavourings, food products, perfumes and pharmaceuticals. The natural version – derived from vanilla beans – is scarce and accounts for less than one percent of global demand. The rest is synthetic, with the majority produced in China.

Pressure on European industry

An investigation found that Chinese vanillin was being exported at artificially low prices. As a result, European manufacturers were increasingly squeezed. The new duty is intended to limit that damage and help level the playing field.

Targeted action on imports from China

The measure applies exclusively to imports from the People's Republic of China. According to the Commission, it gives European suppliers more breathing room in the market—without immediately being undercut.

Policy.trade.ec.europa.eu