The investigation was opened at the request of Member States. It will examine whether rising imports along the whole PET value chain are causing, or threaten to cause, serious injury to EU producers. The scope runs from the basic chemicals, terephthalic acid, mono-ethylene glycol (MEG) and purified isophthalic acid (PIA), to the PET polymer itself in its virgin, recycled and glycol-modified (PET-G) forms. The Commission notes that these chemicals are inputs for packaging, textiles, construction and advanced materials, and that PET is mainly used to make bottles.

According to the notice of initiation, total imports rose from 2.12 million tonnes in 2021 to 2.70 million tonnes in 2025, an increase of 27%. Over the same period, the share of imports in EU consumption grew from 27% to 40%. Imports relative to EU production more than doubled, from 30% to 62%. Spare production capacity worldwide is estimated at about 67.84 million tonnes, more than nine times total EU consumption. The notice links this pressure to new capacity in third countries and to markets being closed by other countries’ trade defence measures.

Any safeguard measures would need the support of a qualified majority of Member States. If provisional measures are imposed, definitive measures must follow within 200 days, and no later than nine months (at most eleven months) after initiation. The EU already applies anti-dumping duties on PET from China, terephthalic acid from Korea and Mexico, and MEG from Saudi Arabia and the USA. It also applies anti-subsidy duties on PET from India.

Producers, importers, users and their associations can reply to the questionnaires published by the Directorate-General for Trade and Economic Security. Submissions go through the TRON.tdi platform or by email to TRADE-SAFEGUARD-PET@ec.europa.eu.

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