The European Commission has taken note with concern of China's announcement to impose provisional import duties on dairy products from the European Union. According to the Commission, the allegations underlying the Chinese investigation are questionable and lack sufficient evidence.
The dairy measure is temporary and may be made permanent later. The tariffs reach high percentages. China states that the duties are necessary to protect the domestic market.
In addition to dairy, China has also taken measures against beef imports. For beef, there is a system with annual quotas per country. Once these volumes are exceeded, an additional import duty of 55 percent is applied.
The beef measure has a duration of three years and is valid until the end of 2028. China bases this step on an investigation by the Ministry of Commerce into the impact of imports on the domestic beef sector. The beef dossiers repeatedly involve the same exporting countries, including Brazil, Australia, and the United States.
Additionally, China has already imposed import duties on pork from the European Union. This sanction is part of a series of trade measures against EU agricultural products. As with dairy and beef, China states that the measures stem from investigations into market disruption.
The European Union views the various tariffs – on dairy, beef, and pork – as interconnected and problematic. According to the Commission, they affect multiple sectors simultaneously and increase pressure on European farmers who rely on exports.