UAE Directive No. (72) of 2026 — Definitive Anti-Dumping Duties on Lead-Acid Starter Batteries from China and Malaysia

Mechanism

This is the UAE's national implementing instrument for a GCC-wide anti-dumping investigation into lead-acid electric accumulators (including separators), of the type used for starting piston engines (automotive/industrial starter batteries), from China and Malaysia. The GCC Ministerial Committee — composed of GCC industry ministers — approved the Standing Committee's recommendation for definitive duties; Directive No. (72) of 2026, published by the UAE Ministry of Economy & Tourism, is the domestic customs-enforcement instrument giving effect to that decision inside the UAE, alongside parallel implementing measures in Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the other GCC states. Rates are producer/exporter-specific: Chinese producers range from 25.8% up to a 74% residual for non-cooperating enterprises; Malaysian producers range from 43.2% to a 77% residual. The measure took effect 13 January 2026 and runs for up to five years absent an earlier sunset review. This mirrors the same GCC investigation architecture and UAE implementing mechanism used for the March 2025 painted/coated aluminium alloy anti-dumping directive (2025-03-13-uae-moet-directive-2-2025-aluminium-alloy-antidumping-china).

Downstream implications

• Raises landed cost for Chinese and Malaysian lead-acid starter-battery imports across

the GCC customs union, protecting Gulf automotive aftermarket and OEM battery assembly/distribution from underpriced imports.

• Fills a confirmed register gap: prior to this filing the UAE had only one other

trade-remedy action in the register versus 38 for the US and 21 for the EU.

• Extends the same GCC trade-defence pattern (bloc-level investigation, UAE MOET

national directive as implementing instrument) already seen in the 2025 aluminium alloy case, suggesting an active GCC anti-dumping pipeline against Chinese-origin manufactured goods.

Open questions

• Exact identities of the three Chinese enterprises/five entities assigned the 25.8%,

50.7%, and 63.7% company-specific rates, and the two Malaysian enterprises assigned 43.2% and 68%.

• Whether Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain have published parallel national

implementing instruments, or rely on the GCC Ministerial Committee decision directly.

• Sunset review timing (GCC standard term is five years from the imposed date, placing a

first review window around January 2031).