Regulation (EU) 2026/274 is the instrument that replaced thirteen years of company-specific anti-dumping rates on Chinese ceramic tableware with a single number: 79.0 percent. This article reconstructs the full regulatory timeline from 2013 to the present, shows exactly what changed at each step, and identifies which dates actually moved money in a buyer's landed-cost model. It is for anyone quoting, importing or reselling Chinese dinnerware into the EU.
The measure in one paragraph
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/274, adopted on 5 February 2026, amends Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/1981 — the regulation that had continued the duties after the second expiry review. Its effect is simple to state: all individual duty rates for Chinese producers and exporters of ceramic tableware and kitchenware are withdrawn, and a single anti-dumping duty of 79.0% applies to imports originating in China. The regulation entered into force on 7 February 2026, so goods released into free circulation from that date bear the new rate. The measure covers both porcelain or china wares (HS 6911) and other ceramic wares such as stoneware (HS 6912).
The complete timeline, 2013 to today
| Date | What happened | What it meant for buyers |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | EU imposes original definitive anti-dumping duties on Chinese ceramic tableware and kitchenware at 13.1–36.1% | Rate shopping across named producers becomes a procurement tactic |
| 2019 | First expiry review continues the duties; (EU) 2019/2131 later closes circumvention routes at the residual 36.1% | Routing games get punished; documentation discipline matters |
| 7 October 2025 | Second expiry review concludes under (EU) 2025/1981; duties continue at 13.1–36.1% | Buyers expect continuity and keep quoting on old rates |
| 5 February 2026 | Interim review concludes under (EU) 2026/274: company-specific rates withdrawn, single 79.0% duty set | Every pre-February EU quotation becomes obsolete within weeks |
| 7 February 2026 | Regulation enters into force | Goods released from customs on or after this date pay 79.0% |
| September 2026 | Legal challenge to the measure pending at the time of our review | Rate outlook uncertain; contract clauses become essential |
Before and after: what the interim review changed
| Element | Before 7 Feb 2026 | From 7 Feb 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Rate structure | Company-specific rates, 13.1–36.1%, plus a residual 36.1% for all other exporters | Single 79.0% for every Chinese producer and exporter |
| Instruments in force | (EU) 2025/1981 (second expiry review) | (EU) 2026/274 amending (EU) 2025/1981 |
| Supplier choice effect on duty | High — the exporter's name decided the rate | None — the rate is uniform |
| Quoting discipline | Duty ranged 13.1–36.1% by producer | Duty fixed at 79.0% of customs value; VAT and fees on top |
The practical meaning of "uniform" deserves emphasis. Before February 2026, a distributor could legitimately pay 13.1% through one relationship and 36.1% through another for near-identical stoneware. After (EU) 2026/274, that spread collapsed into one rate applied at the border regardless of the invoice's brand, group or factory.
What the timeline means for goods in the pipeline
Three situations caught buyers out during the transition. Goods already released before 7 February 2026 kept the old-rate treatment they cleared under. Goods at sea or in the air on that date faced the new rate at release — a painful surprise for contracts priced on October 2025 assumptions. And goods still in production with spring delivery were, in many cases, repriced or renegotiated mid-cycle. The lesson generalizes: an anti-dumping rate is a border event, not a contract event, so duty clauses in purchase agreements should state who absorbs rate changes between signature and release.
Regulation numbers worth keeping on file
| Instrument | What it did | Status as of September 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/1198 | First expiry review; duties continued | Superseded as the operative rate basis |
| Amending Regulation (EU) 2019/2131 | Closed circumvention routes at the residual 36.1% | Historical reference; relevant to routed shipments pre-2026 |
| Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/1981 | Second expiry review; duties continued at 13.1–36.1% | Still in force as amended |
| Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/274 | Interim review; single 79.0% duty for all Chinese producers and exporters | In force since 7 February 2026; under legal challenge |
| UK measure AD 2378 | UK-retained version of the measures; company-specific rates 13.1–36.1%, based on (EU) 2019/1198 and (EU) 2019/2131 | In force; TRA interim review running from 1 July 2026 |
What to watch next
- The legal challenge. Proceedings against the 79.0% measure were pending as of our September 2026 review. An adverse or favorable outcome can move the duty; neither the direction nor the timing is predictable from the outside.
- The UK review. The UK Trade Remedies Authority's interim review, running from 1 July 2026, could maintain, adjust or restructure the UK rates — which today still mirror the old EU structure. EU and UK positions may diverge, splitting your European pricing logic in two.
- The review cycle. Measures of this kind continue through periodic reviews. Budget reviews, not one-time checks, are the realistic planning posture for any EU-facing ceramics program.
For working purposes, most brokers treat the operative rate as 79.0% until an official change is published. Price on that basis, but write your EU quotations with a duty-revision clause that reopens pricing if the measure changes before goods are released.
Frequently asked questions
Does (EU) 2026/274 cover both HS 6911 and 6912?+
Yes. The measure applies to ceramic tableware and kitchenware originating in China, covering porcelain or china wares under HS 6911 and other ceramic wares such as stoneware under HS 6912 at the same 79.0% rate.
My goods left China before 7 February 2026 — which rate applies?+
What generally matters is the date goods are released into free circulation in the EU, not the date they were shipped. Goods released on or after 7 February 2026 faced the 79.0% rate. Transit-period edge cases should be confirmed with your customs broker against the regulation's provisions.
Where can I verify the current state of the measure?+
EUR-Lex carries the regulation texts, and your customs broker can confirm the rate being applied at entry. We track the consolidated EU, US and UK positions on our tariffs hub and on the Europe market page.
If your EU quotations still reference the old 13.1–36.1% structure, they are wrong. Start from a duty-transparent baseline instead — request a duty-inclusive quote and compare it against your current terms line by line.
