On 11 February, the European Commission decided to put some anti-dumping duties on biodiesel coming from China. This move is set to help protect around 6,000 jobs across more than 60 producers in 18 EU countries. The decision came after an investigation showed that cheap biodiesel imports from China were hurting the EU industry, leading to unfair competition and the risk of plant closures.
These duties apply to biodiesel in its pure form and blends but don’t include aviation biofuels known as Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). The duties range from 10% to 35.6% and replace the temporary duties put in place in August 2024.
Overall, these measures aim to support the use of biodiesel—as a renewable alternative to fossil fuels mainly used in transportation—making the EU’s energy situation more secure. Besides dealing with Chinese biodiesel, the EU also has anti-dumping and countervailing duties on biodiesel from other countries. The EU biodiesel market is significant, worth about €25 billion annually.
