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EU finalisiert Zölle auf chinesische Biokraftstoffe

  • Market: Oil products
  • 03/12/24

Die europäische Kommission wird ab Februar 2025 Zölle auf importierte chinesische Biokraftstoffe erheben. Dies geschieht in Reaktion auf ungewöhnlich große und teilweise falsch deklarierte Biokraftstoff-Importmengen aus China seit dem Frühjahr 2023.

Die Zölle werden am 14. Februar 2025 in Kraft treten und fallen je nach betroffenem chinesischem Unternehmen unterschiedlich hoch aus. Je nachdem, wie kooperativ sich das jeweilige Unternehmen gegenüber der Europäischen Kommission bei den Ermittlungen zu etwaigen Betrugsfällen mit fortschrittlichen Biokraftstoffen gezeigt hat, liegt der Zollsatz zwischen 11,1 % und 36,6 %. Dies geht aus einem Dokument der Generaldirektion für Handel der Kommission hervor, das Argus vorliegt.

Die vorläufig erlassenen Zölle wurden ursprünglich in einer Spanne von 12,8 % bis 36,4% festgelegt. Endgültig eingeführte Zölle gelten für gewöhnlich für eine Zeitspanne von fünf Jahren, allerdings kann eine Revision bereits nach dem ersten Jahr angefragt werden.

Die Kommission bestätigt in dem Dokument außerdem, dass Nachhaltiger Flugzeugkraftstoff (SAF) von den Antidumping-Zöllen ausgeschlossen ist, da der Kraftstoff weder mit Biodiesel oder HVO austauschbar sei, noch mit diesen konkurriere. Verschiedene europäische Unternehmen und Verbände, darunter der finnische Produzent Neste und das European Biofuels Board (EBB) hatten zuvor gewarnt, dass durch den Ausschluss von SAF von den Zöllen der Flugzeugkraftstoff von verpflichteten Unternehmen zur Erfüllung von Dekarbonisierungsmandaten im Straßenverkehr genutzt werden könnte. Durch sogenannte Opt-Ins können Unternehmen in manchen EU-Staaten, zum Beispiel in den Niederlanden, nicht straßengebundene Kraftstoffe wie SAF auf die Erfüllung ihrer Mandate im Straßensektor anrechnen lassen. Als HVO jedoch Anfang November im Handelszentrum Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerpen (ARA) teurer gehandelt wurde als SAF, gab es keine Anzeichen, dass der Flugzeugkraftstoff tatsächlich verstärkt im Straßenkraftstoffmarkt Einzug hielt.

Seit Anfang 2023 erreichten große Mengen von meist als fortschrittlich deklariertem Biokraftstoff aus China den europäischen Markt. Das daraus resultierende Überangebot setzte europäische Produzenten unter Druck und senkte in Deutschland die Kosten zur Erfüllung der Treibhausgasminderungsquote.


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