UK trade watchdog recommends tariffs on Chinese titanium dioxide imports

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UK tariffs on Chinese titanium dioxide

Highlights

UK Trade Remedies Authority proposes minimum anti-dumping duty of £660 per tonne on Chinese titanium dioxide imports after investigation reveals tripling of imports year-on-year as of May 2026.
Brussels intensifies monitoring of UK titanium dioxide exports to prevent EU anti-dumping circumvention, increasing pressure on Britain to align with EU trade safeguards for chemicals, steel, and cars.
UK industry stakeholders warn new tariffs could raise manufacturing costs amid remaining diplomatic risks, as China concurrently investigates EU p-nitrotoluene exports and key supply chains face higher bills.

Trade remedy proposal and decision timeline

As reported by the Financial Times, the Trade Remedies Authority has recommended that the UK impose minimum anti-dumping duties of £660 a tonne on Chinese titanium dioxide after a six-month investigation found the domestic industry faces a threat of material injury.

Titanium dioxide is a whitening agent used widely in paints and plastics, and the watchdog said imports from China were three times higher in May 2026 than in the same month a year earlier. Interested parties have until October 26 to respond to the preliminary findings before the authority sends final recommendations to Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds, who must decide whether to accept or reject them.

The investigation opened in March after companies led by U.S.-owned Tronox alleged that Chinese titanium dioxide was being dumped into the UK market. The case follows the 2025 collapse of one of the UK's two remaining titanium dioxide plants, which resulted in 270 job losses and was later bought by LB Group, China's largest producer of the chemical.

Tronox Chief Executive John D Romano is urging Reynolds to implement the proposed tariffs swiftly, arguing the sector is important to supply chains in aerospace, nuclear and battery industries. LB Group did not immediately respond to a request for comment, while the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade declines to comment on an ongoing investigation.

Pressure from Brussels and risks for UK industry

Brussels is increasing scrutiny of the UK's stance after announcing last month that it would monitor UK exports of titanium dioxide to ensure EU anti-dumping measures are not being circumvented. The episode adds to wider pressure on Britain to align more closely with EU trade safeguards on sectors such as steel, cars and chemicals if it wants to avoid barriers tied to "made in Europe" rules.

The UK government is also warning that the EU's push to prioritise production inside the bloc risks damaging British companies linked to auto, nuclear and green energy supply chains. Reynolds last month writes to the UK chemicals industry seeking information on the threat from unfair trade practices, saying the responses would help determine where further trade defence action may be needed.

The dispute also carries diplomatic and commercial risks with China. Beijing launches its own anti-dumping investigation this month into European exports of p-nitrotoluene, while UK trade groups representing downstream users of titanium dioxide warn that new duties could raise costs for manufacturers already facing higher energy and labour bills.

Tom Bowtell, chief executive of the British Coatings Federation, says tariffs would hinder the government's drive for growth and job creation. The European Commission and China's Ministry of Commerce did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

In our earlier article on Afrimat’s earnings warning, we highlighted how weaker iron ore demand, a stronger rand and sharply higher shipping costs were squeezing the miner’s export economics. We also noted that freight disruptions tied to geopolitical instability can rapidly lift transport and insurance costs, feeding through to commodity producers’ margins and wider supply chains.

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