CHINA on Sunday started an anti-dumping investigation into polyformaldehyde copolymer imported from the European Union, the United States, Taiwan and Japan. This investigation is well-founded, reasonable and legal, yet some Western media outlets view it as China's 'retaliation,' claiming that it is suspected to be a 'tit-for-tat action' against the recent US intensification of pressure on Chinese products such as electric vehicles. It seems that the latest trade protectionist measures deployed by the US against Chinese manufacturing have caused anxiety and unease among Americans before they could impact China.

The anti-dumping investigation is based on a formal application submitted to the Commerce Ministry on April 22 by six major Chinese polyformaldehyde copolymer producers. This application predates the US announcement of additional tariffs on Chinese goods by three weeks. Therefore, labeling this anti-dumping investigation as 'retaliation' is clearly unfounded. Moreover, China's investigation into polyformaldehyde copolymer anti-dumping actually began in 2016, and in 2017, anti-dumping duties were imposed on this product from South Korea, Thailand and Malaysia. This current investigation simply expands the scope to include four more regions.