The UK Trade Remedies Authority issued a provisional affirmative determination on 23 October 2026 in a safeguard case brought by Alpek Polyester. It found that a 68% rise in PET resin imports between 2021 and 2025 caused serious injury to UK producers. It proposes a provisional tariff-rate quota of 192,963.17 tonnes from 1 December 2026 to 31 May 2027, allocated 77.6% to the EU, 5.4% to Mexico, 3.7% to Indonesia and 3.1% to Vietnam, with a 65% additional duty on volumes above quota.
Why this mattersWith 77.6% of the quota reserved for the EU and a 65% duty above it, UK PET buyers would tilt sourcing towards EU and domestic producers, away from Asian resin.
- TRA published a provisional affirmative determination on 23 October 2026 in safeguard case SG0094, opened on 5 August 2026 at Alpek Polyester's request
- Investigation covers virgin PET (viscosity 74 ml/g or above) and recycled PET under HS codes 3907.61 and 3907.69
- UK PET imports rose 68% over 2021-2025 while domestic output fell continuously
- Proposed tariff-rate quota of 192,963.17 tonnes from 1 December 2026 to 31 May 2027: EU 77.6%, Mexico 5.4%, Indonesia 3.7%, Vietnam 3.1%, other sources 10.2%
- Imports above quota would face an additional safeguard duty of 65%; the provisional measure lasts at most 200 days
- Interested parties may comment until 22 November 2026
Alpek has confirmed it will close a PET recycling plant in Pennsylvania, citing deteriorating market conditions in the US bottle-recovery sector. The company has not disclosed the site name, annual throughput, headcount or a closure timeline. The move adds to a series of PET reclaim capacity reductions across North America since 2023.
Why this mattersAnother US PET reclaim exit tightens food-grade rPET supply just as state recycled-content mandates are escalating demand on converters.
- Alpek will close a PET recycling plant in Pennsylvania, per a Plastics News report
- No site name, closure date, annual throughput or employee count has been disclosed
- Reason cited is worsening US bottle-recovery market conditions
- Closure follows a wave of PET recycling capacity reductions in North America since 2023
- California, New Jersey, Oregon, Washington and Maine have enacted rPET minimum recycled-content thresholds escalating through the decade
Five EU member states have asked the European Commission to impose safeguard measures on PET imports, which would set country quotas and tariff or block out-of-quota volumes. The Commission has 30 days from the request to decide whether to open a formal investigation, adding to a wider wave of trade-defence actions in Europe's PET and chemicals sectors.
Why this mattersSafeguard quotas would raise PET resin costs and restrict supply for European bottle and packaging converters that depend on imported material.
- Five EU member states have asked the European Commission for PET safeguard measures, Reuters reported on 14 October 2026, citing EU trade lawyers.
- The European Commission has 30 days to decide whether to open a safeguard investigation.
- Proposed safeguards would set import quotas per exporting country, with out-of-quota PET volumes tariffed or blocked.
- The UK Trade Remedies Authority opened a separate PET safeguard investigation in August 2026 following an application from Alpek Polyester UK.
- Turkey (47,223 tonnes) and Vietnam (44,850 tonnes) were the EU's largest PET suppliers in July 2026, ahead of Egypt (12,519 tonnes) and Pakistan (12,475 tonnes).
- The EU terminated its antidumping investigation into Vietnamese PET in June 2026 after PET Europe withdrew its complaint.
Five US members of Congress have asked US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer to fold domestic RPET recycling into Section 301 investigations of foreign plastics overcapacity. They cite the loss of more than a quarter of US PET recycling capacity in the past 12 months, with seven of roughly 30 domestic reclaimers closing, and want trade remedies, tighter traceability of recycled-content claims and stronger enforcement against import misclassification. The request targets alleged excess-capacity practices in Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, India, Thailand and South Korea.
Why this mattersCheap, potentially mislabelled imported PET is undercutting US recyclers just as brand owners face rising recycled-content mandates, threatening domestic feedstock supply.
- More than a quarter of US PET recycling capacity has been lost in the past 12 months, with seven of about 30 domestic reclaimers closing
- Feedstock PET bale prices hit an all-time low of 1.44 cents/lb in April 2026, per RecyclingMarkets.Net
- Lawmakers asked USTR to examine excess-capacity practices in Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, India, Thailand and South Korea
- They requested trade remedies on PET imports under HTS subheadings 3907.61, 3907.69 and 3907.99.50
- The EU has anti-dumping duties on PET imports and Canada has opened dumping and subsidy probes into PET resin
- The US is not party to the Basel Convention, limiting export options for domestic recyclers
Brazil's Chamber of Foreign Trade has concluded an anti-dumping probe and imposed definitive five-year duties on PET resin imports from Vietnam and Malaysia. Vietnamese exporters face USD 160.87 per tonne, while Malaysian exporters face USD 24.28 per tonne for one named company and USD 116.50 per tonne for others. The case was brought by domestic producers Indorama Ventures Polímeros and Alpek Polyester Pernambuco.
Why this mattersHigher landed costs for imported PET resin raise input costs for Brazilian bottle and rigid-packaging converters and support domestic resin producers' pricing.
- CAMEX Resolution No. 958 took effect on publication in Brazil's Official Gazette on 4 September 2026.
- Duties apply for up to five years to PET resin with intrinsic viscosity 0.78-0.88 dl/g, HS code 3907.61.00.
- Vietnamese exporters face a duty of USD 160.87 per tonne.
- Malaysian exporters face USD 24.28 per tonne for one named company and USD 116.50 per tonne for all others.
- The case was filed on 31 October 2024 by Indorama Ventures Polímeros S.A. and Alpek Polyester Pernambuco.
- The investigation period covered July 2023 to June 2024.
