China has slapped import duties on EU pork for five years but at lower rates than the preliminary tariffs announced three months ago.
Effective from today (17 December), China’s Ministry of Commerce has imposed duties ranging from 4.9% to 19.8% on EU pork and pork by-products in an anti-dumping dispute stretching back to June 2024.
China launched its initial investigation in the summer of 2024 claiming EU member states were exporting pork into the Asian country at prices that put local producers at an unfair advantage.
The probe had widely been seen as tit-for-tat measures by China in retaliation for the European Commission's decision to impose tariffs on imported Chinese battery electric vehicles (BEV).
Preliminary duties on EU pork were then imposed by China in September at rates varying from 15.6% to 62.4% with a final assessment of the investigation's findings due on 16 December.
“The ruling report indicates that the relevant pork and pork by-products imported from the EU were being dumped, causing substantial damage to the domestic industry in China,” a statement from China’s Ministry of Commerce read.
Importers will receive refunds where the provisional deposits paid since September exceed the final anti-dumping duty rates.
During the period in which the duties are in force, "interested parties" may submit a written request to the investigating authority for a “periodic review”, the Ministry added.
In response, the European Commission (EC) accused China of using “trade defence instruments”.
An EC spokesperson said in a statement that the “investigation is based on questionable allegations and insufficient evidence” and the authority is now reviewing China’s assessment “against compliance with WTO rules”.
It pledged to “take all necessary steps to defend the rights of EU producers”.
Some of Europe's major pork producers were identified in China's initial probe last year, including Danish Crown, Vion and Litera Meat.
Danish Crown said via a spokesperson at the time: “Danish Crown has registered to participate in the investigation and submitted all relevant information to the investigating authority. As a global company with a large export of pork, Danish Crown is a strong supporter of free trade in a rule-based global community."
Following China's imposition of the preliminary duties in September, lobby group Copa and Cogeca said they “strongly regret the decision” by China as it will “undoubtedly cause serious damage to European pig producers”.
Copa and Cogeca had not responded to Just Food's request for comment on the final duty ruling at the time of writing today.
Meanwhile, China launched a similar anti-dumping enquiry in August last year for EU dairy imports but that is not due to be concluded until February.
