China imposed antidumping duties of up to 28 percent Friday on caprolactam, a nylon fabric component, imported from Japan and four European countries.
The official Xinhua News Agency said the Ministry of Commerce issued the order after determining that caprolactam imports from Japan, Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands and Russia have caused "substantial damage" to the domestic industry.
China will enforce the tariff, ranging from 5 percent to 28 percent, for five years effective Friday, Xinhua said.
The Commerce Ministry, formerly known as the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation, initiated an antidumping probe on caprolactam imports in December 2001 and issued a provisional ruling five months ago.
The caprolactam case is the latest in a series of antidumping rulings China has made against foreign chemical manufacturers, which have made substantial inroads since China's entry into the World Trade Organization in December 2001.
Last month, China issued a provisional antidumping ruling against polyvinyl chloride imports from Japan and four other countries.