BEIJING - China will impose provisional anti-dumping duties on toluidine imported from the European Union, the Ministry of Commerce said Thursday.

Starting Friday, Chinese importers of toluidine from the EU will be required to pay deposits with Chinese customs ranging from 22.2 percent to 36.9 percent, depending on the dumping margin, the MOC said in a statement posted on its website.

According to its preliminary ruling, the MOC found that toluidine exporters in the EU dumped their products on the Chinese market and caused material harm to China's domestic toluidine industry.

The investigation was launched by the ministry in June 2012, at the request of Chinese toluidine producers.

Toluidine is an organic chemical widely used in the production of dyes, medicines and farm chemicals.