Judgment of the General Court of 21 February 2024 — Sinopec Chongqing SVW Chemical and Others v Commission

(Case T-762/20) (1)

(Dumping - Imports of certain polyvinyl alcohols originating in China - Definitive anti-dumping duty - Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1336 - Calculation of the normal value - Significant distortions in the exporting country - Article 2(6a) of Regulation (EU) 2016/1036 - WTO law - Principle of consistent interpretation - Adjustments - Non-refundable VAT - Functions similar to those of an agent acting on a commission basis - Fair comparison of the export price and the normal value - Burden of proof - Article 2(10)(b) and (i) of Regulation 2016/1036 - Non-cooperation - Facts available - Article 18 of Regulation 2016/1036 - Double application - Punitive application - Different production processes - Price undercutting - Market segments - Product control number method - Article 3(2) and (3) of Regulation 2016/1036 - Rights of the defence - Confidential treatment - Articles 19 and 20 of Regulation 2016/1036)

(C/2024/2423)

Language of the case: English

Parties

Applicants: Sinopec Chongqing SVW Chemical Co. Ltd (Chongqing, China), Sinopec Great Wall Energy & Chemical (Ningxia) Co. Ltd (Lingwu, China), Central-China Company, Sinopec Chemical Commercial Holding Co. Ltd (Wuhan, China) (represented by: J. Cornelis, F. Graafsma and E. Vermulst, lawyers)

Defendant: European Commission (represented by: G. Luengo, acting as Agent)

Intervener in support of the applicants: Wegochem Europe BV (Amsterdam, Netherlands) (represented by: R. Antonini, E. Monard and B. Maniatis, lawyers)

Interveners in support of the defendant: European Parliament (represented by: A. Neergaard, D. Moore and A. Pospíšilová Padowska, acting as Agents), Council of the European Union (represented by: H. Marcos Fraile and B. Driessen, acting as Agents, and by N. Tuominen, lawyer), Kuraray Europe GmbH (Hattersheim am Main, Germany) (represented by: R. MacLean and D. Sevilla Pascual, lawyers), Sekisui Specialty Chemicals Europe SL (La Canonja, Spain) (represented by: A. Borsos and J. Jousma, lawyers)

Re:

By their action under Article 263 TFEU, the applicants seek the annulment of Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1336 of 25 September 2020 imposing definitive anti-dumping duties on imports of certain polyvinyl alcohols originating in the People’s Republic of China (OJ 2020 L 315, p. 1), in so far as it concerns them.

Operative part of the judgment

The Court:

1.

Annuls Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1336 of 25 September 2020 imposing definitive anti-dumping duties on imports of certain polyvinyl alcohols originating in the People’s Republic of China with regard to Sinopec Chongqing SVW Chemical Co. Ltd, Sinopec Great Wall Energy & Chemical (Ningxia) Co. Ltd and Central-China Company, Sinopec Chemical Commercial Holding Co. Ltd in so far as, in calculating the rate of the anti-dumping duty affecting imports into the European Union of polyvinyl alcohols manufactured and sold by them, the European Commission made downward adjustments to the export price under Article 2(10)(e), (g), (i) and (k) of Regulation (EU) 2016/1036 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 8 June 2016 on protection against dumped imports from countries not members of the European Union;

2.	Dismisses the action as to the remainder;

3.	Orders the Commission to bear its own costs and to pay those incurred by Sinopec Chongqing SVW Chemical Co., by Sinopec Great Wall Energy & Chemical (Ningxia) Co. and by Central-China Company, Sinopec Chemical Commercial Holding Co.;

4.	Orders the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union to bear their own costs;

5.	Orders Wegochem Europe BV, Kuraray Europe GmbH and Sekisui Specialty Chemicals Europe SL to bear their own costs.

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(1)   OJ C 53, 15.2.2021.