The Ministry of Commerce said Tuesday it was imposing anti-dumping duties of 2 -151 percent on chloroprene rubber imported from the United States, the European Union and Japan.

The duties will remain in effect for five years.

Chloroprene rubber is mainly used in producing housing for electrical wiring and cables, rubber tubing and as a raw material for various waterproofing products.

Chinese importers of chloroprene rubber from Japan's Tosoh Corp. were levied with an anti-dumping duty of 2 percent, while importers from Germany’s Lanxess Deutschland GmbH and France's Polimeri Europa Elastomeres France S.A. were levied with duties of 11 percent and 53 percent respectively.

The statement didn't provide reasons for the different duty levels. Chinese customs, meanwhile, imposed a 151 percent anti-dumping duty on chloroprene rubber imports from other Japanese, E.U. and U.S. companies.

The Commerce Ministry said in the statement that chloroprene rubber imports from the U.S., E.U. and Japan did "substantial damage" to the domestic industry, without elaborating.

The ministry began investigating the issue Nov. 10, 2003, in response to appeals by Chong-qing Changshou Chemicals Co. and Shanxi Synthetic Rubber Group Co., two major chloroprene rubber producers.

(Shenzhen Daily May 11, 2005)