BEIJING, May 19 (Xinhua) - China on Sunday started an anti-dumping investigation into polyformaldehyde copolymer imported from the European Union, the United States, China's Taiwan region and Japan.

The Ministry of Commerce (MOC) said in a statement that it made the decision in accordance with the country's anti-dumping regulation after reviewing materials provided by six Chinese companies that applied for the probe on behalf of the domestic industry last month.

The anti-dumping probe will look at polyformaldehyde copolymer, or commonly called POM copolymer for short, imported from these countries and regions from Jan. 1, 2023 to Dec. 31, 2023.

It will also investigate any damage done to the Chinese POM copolymer industry from Jan. 1, 2021 to Dec. 31, 2023.

The MOC urged interested parties to register with the ministry within 20 days since Sunday for participation in the probe.

The investigation is expected to conclude before May 19, 2025, but may be extended for half a year under special circumstances.

POM copolymer is used in a broad range of industries, including auto parts, electronic devices, medical equipment and construction materials.