Beijing announced on Tuesday that it would impose anti-dumping duties on EU pork imports for five years, but at lower rates than temporary tariffs in place since September last year.
The two economic powerhouses are locked in a trade dispute, with many European countries seeing their economic relationship with China as unbalanced.
China’s Ministry of Commerce said in a statement on Tuesday that the tariffs were imposed after an investigation launched by China last year concluded that imported pork from Europe “had been dumped and the domestic industry had suffered significant damage.”
The tariff range is 4.9% to 19.8%, which is lower than the temporary tax of 15.6% to 62.4%, and will be implemented from December 17.
A spokesman for the Ministry of Commerce said that the domestic industry is currently facing difficulties and there are strong calls for protection.
They added that the investigation’s conclusions were “objective, fair and impartial”.
The Agriculture Minister of Spain, Europe’s largest producer of pork and its derivatives, said that the average tariff faced by Spanish exporters is 9.8%, lower than the overall average of 19%.
Luis Planas told reporters in Madrid that the measures were therefore “acceptable” for Spain and that the consequences were “minimized”.
China, the world’s largest pork consumer, imported 4.3 billion yuan ($600 million) of pork products from Spain alone last year, according to official Chinese customs data.
Meanwhile, France exported 115,000 tons of pork to China in 2024, according to industry association Inaporc.
The French pork industry welcomed Beijing’s decision, with Inaporc calling it “a relief” for domestic producers.
Inaporc said French companies had previously imposed temporary tariffs of up to 62.4% on some products and an average of 20% on other products.
Under the new measures, major French pork producer Groupe Bigard will be taxed at 9.8%, while Danish Crown will be taxed at 18.6%.
– ‘Bargaining chip’ –
The current trade spat erupted last summer when the EU imposed steep tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, arguing that Beijing’s subsidies unfairly undermined European rivals.
Beijing denied the claims and announced what was widely seen as a retaliatory investigation into imports of European pork, brandy and dairy products.
Giuseppe Aloisio, general manager of Spanish meat industry association Anice, told AFP the measure was “unfair” and “penalized a model industry for no reason”.
“It is unacceptable that our industry is being used as a bargaining chip in the electric vehicle trade dispute and it has absolutely nothing to do with us,” Aloysio said.
European producers criticized temporary tariffs on pork imposed in September and denied dumping accusations.
They argue that Chinese consumers pay higher prices than Europeans for products that Europeans often overlook, such as pig’s trotters or ears.
In 2024, the EU’s trade deficit with China will exceed US$350 billion.
French President Macron said this month that Europe would consider taking tough measures against China, including imposing tariffs, if the trade imbalance is not resolved.
In addition to trade friction, China and the EU also have differences on issues such as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The EU has urged China to put pressure on Moscow to end the war, but Beijing has shown no sign of agreeing.
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