China’s Ministry of Commerce announced on Monday (22) that it will impose tariffs of up to 42.7% on some dairy products imported from the European Union (EU), following a preliminary conclusion that these items caused “substantial damage” to the Chinese dairy industry.
The measure, which aims to be temporary while an investigation against the bloc opened in August 2024 at the request of the China Dairy Industry Association and the China Dairy Products Industry Association lasts, will come into effect this Tuesday (23).
The new charges range from 21.9% to 42.7% and will hit a range of products including fresh cheeses, curds, processed cheeses and blue cheeses, as well as milk and some types of cream.
The announcement comes amid trade tensions between the sides after Beijing imposed tariffs of up to 19.8% on imports of certain products such as pork imported from the EU and cognac, a move that is seen as retaliatory to Brussels’ tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles.
France, leader in the list of European dairy exporters to China, is the country most affected by the anti-subsidy investigation, according to data from the General Administration of Customs in the Asian country, which also points to Italy, Denmark, the Netherlands and Spain among those affected.
