Western European PET producers were hoping to increase prices and profits in 2002 after what was considered a very poor year in 2001. Their hopes did not materialise, and the price of the polymer, which can be used to make bottles, fell by €150 per tonne in the second quarter and by a further €80-100 in the third quarter to €1150-1300 per tonne. This is due to cheap Chinese PET imports, which are not covered by the EU anti-dumping regulation.