China Announces Dumping Investigation on BDO   

By Lily Wang   

The Ministry of Commerce of China announces China launches a dumping investigation on 1,4-butanediol (BDO, HS code: 29053990) originated from Saudi Arabia and Chinese Taiwan province, effective September 25th, 2008.
    China imported 18 095 tons of BDO from Saudi Arabia and 69 383 tons of BDO from Taiwan province in 2007, accounting for 10% and 39% of the total respectively. The imported price of BDO from the two destinations in 2007 was approximately US$1967 per ton and US$1847 per tons respectively.
   BDO is used for the manufacture of polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polyurethane (PU), gama-butyrolactone (GBL) and tetrahydrofuran (THF) as well as medicines intermediate.
   Shanxi Sanwei Group is a core producer of BDO in China, started operation of BDO facility in 2003 with a capacity of 70 000 t/a. With the startup of ongoing BDO projects in China, such as those built by Shaanxi Chemical Industry Company Ltd. (30 000 t/a), Yunnan Yunwei Group Co., Ltd., Sanwei Group (75 000 t/a expansion) and Merck (the 60 000 t/a BDO facility in Kurle, Xinjiang region started up on October 2nd, 2008), and Sichuan Tianhua Fubang Chemical (using INVISTA's technology, 60 000 t/a), China will have more BDO to supply the domestic market.  (CCR2008 No. 21, No. 8)