China Begins AD Probe on Plastics From US, EU, Japan, Taiwan

China this week launched an antidumping duty probe on imports of polyoxymethylene copolymers, an industrial plastic, from the U.S., the EU, Japan and Taiwan, the country’s Ministry of Commerce said, according to an unofficial translation. China said the plastic has "high mechanical strength” and can “partially replace metal materials such as copper, zinc, tin, and lead,” including in auto parts and industrial machinery. The ministry is accepting public comments on the scope of the probe within 20 days and is expecting to complete the investigation within one year, although it can extend that timeline by six months.