The European Commission imposes provisional duties on Chinese thermal paper

The European Commission has established a provisional countervailing duty on imports of light thermal paper originating in the People’s Republic of China, with rates of 28.8% and 70.5%. The implementing regulation (EU) 2026/1914, adopted in Brussels on August 5, 2026, and signed by President Ursula von der Leyen, is published in the Official Journal of the European Union and is reproduced in the Official Gazette of the Italian Republic, 2nd Special Series no. 79 of October 8, 2026, under reference 26CE2456.

The anti-subsidy investigation was opened on November 7, 2025, with notice C/2025/5911, following the complaint filed on September 24, 2025, by the European Thermal Paper Association (ETPA) and its members, producers of light thermal paper. The legal basis is regulation (EU) 2016/1037, specifically Article 15. With implementing regulation (EU) 2026/313 of February 6, 2026, the Commission had already ordered the registration of imports for the purpose of potential retroactive collection.

The product and customs codes

The product subject to the investigation is light weight thermal paper (LWTP), defined as thermal paper with a grammage equal to or less than 65 g/m2, sold in rolls with a width equal to or greater than 20 cm, a roll weight equal to or greater than 50 kg, and a diameter equal to or greater than 40 cm. The relevant characteristics are:

• with or without a base coating on one or both sides;
• with a physical or chemical heat-sensitive layer on one or both sides;
• with or without a surface coating.

Classification is carried out using CN codes ex 4809 90 00, ex 4811 90 00, ex 4816 90 00, and ex 4823 90 85 (TARIC codes 4809 90 00 10, 4811 90 00 10, 4816 90 00 10, and 4823 90 85 20). The primary use is in points of sale (POS), for example, in receipts issued in retail trade.

Chinese imports and injury

The investigation period runs from October 1, 2024, to September 30, 2025; the period under review from January 1, 2022. According to Eurostat data:

• volume of imports from the PRC: from 2,865 tonnes in 2022 to 14,983 during the investigation period, an increase of 423%;
• Chinese market share: from 1.4% to 8.2%;
• average import price: from 2,244 to 1,500 EUR/tonne, a decrease of 33%;
• weighted average undercutting margin: 10.4%.

Over the same period, Union consumption decreased by 10%, from 202,716 to 183,413 tonnes, while Union industry sales on the internal market fell by 21% and profitability plummeted from 15.2% to 1.9%. The Commission concluded that the Union industry has suffered material injury and established a causal link with the subsidized Chinese imports.

Rates, guarantees, and deadlines

The provisional duty applies to the net price, free at the Union border, duty unpaid:

• Guandong Guanhao High-Tech Co.: 28.8%, additional TARIC code 88FO;
• all other imports originating in the People’s Republic of China: 70.5%, additional TARIC code 8999.

The individual rate applies only if accompanied by a valid commercial invoice with a declaration dated and signed by a representative of the exporting company. Release for free circulation in the Union is subject to the provision of a guarantee equal to the amount of the provisional duty. The customs authorities of the Member States are invited to cease the registration of imports. Interested parties have 15 calendar days from the date of entry into force to submit written observations and 5 days to request a hearing with the Commission or with the hearing officer.

Union Interest and Next Steps

No independent importer or user came forward or cooperated with the investigation. Nevertheless, the Commission assessed the interests at stake, including those of the Union industry, importers, and users, concluding that there are no grounded Union interest reasons contrary to the imposition of the measures. The findings regarding the provisional duties are provisional and may be modified in the definitive phase of the proceedings.

For importers and the Italian printing industry, the regulation is directly applicable: those purchasing Chinese light thermal paper must deal with the customs guarantee and a residual rate of 70.5%, while the definitive phase of the investigation will decide the stable arrangement of the measures.

Official source: Official Gazette of the Italian Republic, 2nd Special Series no. 79 of October 8, 2026 — Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/1914 of August 5, 2026, imposing a provisional countervailing duty on imports of certain types of light thermal paper originating in the People’s Republic of China (26CE2456).