China extends probe on US, EU monobutyl ether

China's Ministry of Commerce has extending its anti-dumping probe on ethylene glycol monobutyl ether and diethylene glycol monobutyl ether imports from the U.S. and the European Union (EU). The probe, which was launched on Nov. 18, 2011, will be extended for another three months to Feb. 18, 2013 due to the complexity of the case, the ministry announced on Wednesday. In July, the ministry preliminarily ruled that the U.S. and the EU dumped monobutyl ether products, which are widely used as solvent in water-based paints, on the Chinese market. Preliminary investigations showed that the dumping margins of companies from the U.S. and the EU ranged from 9.3 percent to 18.8 percent. The dumping practices have caused material damage to Chinese producers, the ministry said.