Beijing waives tariff on ethane imports from US

China has waived the 125 per cent tariff on ethane imports from the United States imposed earlier this month, two sources with knowledge of the matter said on Tuesday, among a group of products that have been granted exemptions.

The move will ease pressure on Chinese firms that import US ethane for petrochemical production as well as provide an outlet for the natural gas liquid, a byproduct of US shale gas production.

The sources said the tariff on ethane had been waived in recent days. One of them said the waiver has not been publicly announced. They declined to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter.

China’s Ministry of Commerce and China customs could not be immediately reached after office hours.

Last week, some pharmaceutical, aerospace and semiconductor products had also been granted tariff exemptions as Beijing tried to blunt the economic impact of its trade war with the United States.

China increased its levies on imports of US goods, including ethane, to 125 per cent earlier this month, hitting back at US President Donald Trump’s decision to single out the world’s no 2 economy for higher duties.