China has an anti-dumping investigation against imported products from the European Union announced. The Ministry of Commerce announced on Monday in Beijing that the investigation was aimed at imported pork and by-products. This is likely to be a counter-reaction from Beijing to those threatened by the EU There could be punitive tariffs on Chinese electric cars. The EU Commission had previously investigated China’s subsidies for electric vehicles, which Brussels believes are distorting the market in Europe.
Products that are primarily intended for human consumption are affected, it said. The authority cited fresh and frozen pork or offal as examples. According to Chinese customs figures, China imported pork worth 23.2 billion yuan (almost three billion euros) last year. According to data from Brussels, the EU exported pork products worth around 2.5 billion euros to China in 2023.
The Chinese state newspaper “Global Times” had already reported, citing an insider, that the Chinese industry was collecting evidence for the investigation into certain dairy products and pork from the EU. However, the paper did not provide any further information in the articles on the online platform X.
China is also investigating Brandy
It is not China’s first investigation into European products. In January, the Ministry of Commerce announced an investigation into brandy from the EU. Manufacturers from France were mainly affected.
Experts had expected counter-reactions from China following the EU’s threat of punitive tariffs. But Beijing will not impose tariffs on EU products that it still needs, said Jacob Gunter from the Berlin-based Merics Institute. “These include machines, high-quality industrial goods, chemicals, medical technology and other products.” Large European automobile manufacturers are likely to be spared because, according to Gunter, they invest heavily in China, create jobs, pay taxes and contribute to growth.
According to Gunter, agricultural, food and beverage products that China’s consumers can do without or that China’s producers produce themselves in sufficient quantities, such as pork, are likely to be targeted.