China retaliates against EU - Imposes tariffs of up to 20% on pork imports
China will impose tariffs of up to 19.8% on pork imports from the European Union, a significant reduction compared to the initial tariffs of up to 62.4%, China's Ministry of Commerce announced.
The announcement follows a lengthy Chinese investigation into pork imports from the bloc, launched in June 2024. The investigation found that European products were harming the domestic industry. The decision comes in retaliation for the EU's move to impose provisional tariffs on electric vehicles made in China last year.
Beijing also imposed tariffs on European cognac this summer. The tariffs mainly affect cognac made in France, although major producers secured exemptions. Dairy products from the EU were also subject to investigations.
The European Union has a large trade deficit with China, which exceeded 300 billion euros last year. However, the bloc is a major exporter of pork and a key supplier of pork by-products. China is facing a surplus of these products, also linked to an economic slowdown that has reduced consumer spending.
In September, the Asian superpower ordered provisional tariffs ranging from 15.6% to 32.7% on pork imports from European companies that cooperated with the investigation. All other companies were subject to a tax of up to 62.4%.
China's Ministry of Commerce said the EU was selling pork products at prices below production costs or domestic market prices, harming Chinese industry. The final tariffs, ranging from 4.9% to 19.8%, will last for five years. Spain, the Netherlands and Denmark will be the countries most affected by the measure.
European pork exports to China peaked at 7.4 billion euros in 2020, when Beijing had to meet domestic demand after pig farms were hit by a disease. However, Chinese imports have been reduced in recent years.
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