duties of as much as 42.7% on European cheeses and milk | EUROtoday

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China has introduced that from tomorrow it should apply provisional tariffs on a sequence of dairy merchandise imported from the European Union. The tariffs will vary from 21.9 to 42.7 %, China’s Ministry of Commerce stated. Among the merchandise affected by the measures are recent and processed cheeses but additionally milk and lotions.

The transfer is a part of an anti-subsidy investigation launched by Chinese authorities in August 2024. The investigation was launched a day after Europe introduced excessive tariffs on electrical autos made in China and was broadly seen as a retaliatory measure in opposition to Brussels. The Chinese investigation is anticipated to conclude in February 2026.

The first outcomes of the investigation

Preliminary proof signifies that imported dairy merchandise from the EU obtain subsidies, that China’s home dairy trade has suffered substantial harm, and that there’s a causal hyperlink between the subsidies and the harm, the ministry stated. The investigation was launched on August 21, 2024 on the request of the Dairy Association of China and the China Dairy Industry Association. The investigation was carried out in accordance with Chinese legal guidelines and rules and WTO guidelines, the ministry added.