China will slap provisional duties of 21.9 percent to 42.7 percent on certain dairy products imported from the European Union (EU) starting on Dec 23, following a preliminary anti-subsidy probe that began more than a year ago, said officials from China's Ministry of Commerce on Monday.
On Aug 21, 2024, at the request of the China Dairy Association and the China Dairy Industry Association, the ministry initiated a countervailing investigation into certain dairy products imported from the EU, said the spokesperson responding to media inquiry regarding the ruling. After the case was initiated, the ministry carried out the investigations in a fair, impartial, open and transparent manner, strictly adhering to Chinese laws and relevant World Trade Organization regulations, the spokesperson said, stressing that the rights of all interested parties were fully protected.
Preliminary evidence indicates that the imported dairy products originating from the EU receive subsidies, and have caused substantial damage to China's domestic dairy industry, and there is a causal link between the subsidies and the damage, the spokesperson said.
In accordance with relevant provisions, the ministry released its preliminary ruling announcement on Monday, and decided to impose provisional countervailing measures, according to the spokesperson.
On the same day, in response to media inquiries regarding the preliminary ruling, an official from the Trade Remedy and Investigation Bureau of the Ministry of Commerce stated that China has consistently exercised caution and restraint in applying trade remedy measures.
The official noted that since the start of 2025, China has not launched any new trade remedy investigations against the EU, only issuing final rulings on three anti-dumping cases concerning brandy, polyformaldehyde copolymer, and pork.
Meanwhile, the EU has imposed provisional duties in 18 trade remedy cases against China, issued final duties in 18 cases, and initiated 15 new trade remedy investigations, including three that were launched against China just on Friday, the official said.
The official stated that China's stance against the misuse of trade remedy measures remains steadfast, and China is committed to addressing trade frictions with the EU through dialog and consultation.
China slaps tariffs on EU dairy products following anti-subsidy investigations: officials
