As a vital part of China's acrylic industry, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have been facing unprecedented challenges since India imposed a five-year anti-dumping duty on Chinese acrylic solid surfaces on March 25, 2025. With most Chinese manufacturers subject to a duty of $180 per ton, the policy has significantly impacted the export-oriented acrylic industry and SMEs in particular. Faced with this situation, Qu Zhou SM company have taken active measures to cope with the pressure, exploring new development paths while adhering to international trade rules.

  According to the official announcement by India's Ministry of Finance, the anti-dumping duty targets acrylic solid surfaces originating from China, covering 7 HS codes including 39205111 and 39205119, involving mainstream products such as PMMA sheets, Staron solid surfaces. Only two Chinese enterprises have obtained zero-duty exemptions, while over 85% of Chinese acrylic exporters are affected by the $180 per ton duty. Data shows that China exported 123,000 tons of acrylic sheets to India in 2023, accounting for 62% of India's market share. The imposition of the anti-dumping duty has directly increased the export cost of Chinese acrylic products by 15%-20%, seriously eroding the profit space of SMEs which are already at a disadvantage in scale and capital.

  In the first three quarters of 2025, China's acrylic sheet exports to India dropped by nearly 60% compared with the same period last year, and some low-margin products have even withdrawn from the Indian market temporarily. The industry, which has long relied on cost advantage for export growth, is facing an urgent need for transformation. For SMEs, the impact is more prominent: on the one hand, their original price competitiveness has been greatly weakened, and a large number of pending orders have been suspended or cancelled; on the other hand, the pressure of capital turnover has increased sharply due to the rise in export costs and the delay in payment collection, making the production and operation of some SMEs face certain difficulties.

  In the face of the severe situation, SM Company have not passively waited, but have taken a series of targeted measures to break through the predicament, with remarkable results:

•   Firstly, focusing on niche market development and deepening customer relationship management. For small enterprises with limited resources, we abandon the competition in the general acrylic sheet market and turn to develop niche segments such as customized acrylic craft products, small-batch special-purpose acrylic parts and acrylic decorative accessories that are less affected by anti-dumping duties. By virtue of flexible production advantages, we provide personalized customization services to meet the diverse needs of Indian customers. At the same time, we strengthen communication with old customers, actively introduce product upgrades and after-sales service guarantees, enhance customer stickiness, and maintain stable order sources.
•   Secondly, optimizing product structure and shifting to high-value-added products. To get rid of the dependence on low-margin products, SM Company have increased investment in R&D, focusing on the research and development of high-end acrylic products such as pure acrylic sheets (excluded from the anti-dumping duty scope), medical-grade PMMA materials and environmentally friendly acrylic products. By improving product quality and technical content, they have enhanced product added value and market competitiveness, gradually moving from price competition to value competition. At the same time,we have actively developed domestic and other overseas markets, reducing their dependence on the Indian market and realizing the diversification of market layout.
•   Thirdly, optimizing internal operations to reduce costs and improve efficiency. Faced with the pressure of rising export costs,we focus on internal management optimization to tap potential for cost reduction without relying on external resource sharing. We implement zero-based budgeting for all expenditures, re-evaluating the necessity of each expense to cut non-value-added costs such as idle inventory storage fees. At the same time, we strengthen accounts receivable management, classify customers by credit rating to set reasonable payment terms.In addition, we strictly control non-production expenses such as business trips and receptions, and optimize inventory management by clearing slow-moving products in a timely manner to reduce capital occupation.

  “The anti-dumping duty has brought short-term pressure, but it also provides an opportunity for the transformation and upgrading of Chinese acrylic SMEs”,a spokesperson for SM Company said"We will take this as a driving force to accelerate the improvement of our core competitiveness, adhere to compliant operation, and explore more stable and sustainable development paths in the global market."

  For more information about China's acrylic industry and SM Company's development strategies, please contact our.