Britain is urged to slap tariffs on Chinese titanium dioxide as EU trade dispute spreads to UK market

From the Newshound archive · first published 8 October 2026.

A UK trade body has called for a new duty on imports of Chinese rutile titanium dioxide, warning the chemical is being "dumped" into the British market at artificially low prices and threatening domestic jobs. The push mirrors an active EU trade dispute over the same product and prompted a formal proposal on the Gov.uk website. Industry groups argue the UK risks becoming a dumping ground as cheap Chinese supply is redirected following EU action.

Titanium dioxide is a white pigment used widely in paints, plastics and coatings — a staple of British manufacturing supply chains.

The campaign to impose a levy puts pressure on the government to show post-Brexit trade defence tools are fit for purpose.

Backers of the tariff warn that without action, UK producers face an uneven playing field against state-subsidised Chinese rivals.