Beijing (AFP) – China said Friday it would impose temporary anti-dumping duties on European Union pork imports, delivering another blow to shaky ties between the economic powerhouses as Brussels vowed to protect its producers. The two sides have navigated a challenging relationship in recent years, complicated greatly by Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Chinese authorities launched the probe into European pork imports last year during scrutiny by Brussels of Beijing’s state subsidies for the domestic electric vehicle industry. The investigation has “preliminarily determined that imports of relevant pork and pig by-products originating in the European Union are being dumped,” a statement from China’s commerce ministry said. Authorities have decided to implement “provisional anti-dumping measures in the form of deposits,” it added.
The European Commission described the allegations as “questionable.” “We will take all the necessary steps to defend our producers,” commission spokesman Olof Gill told a press conference. The import duties range from 15.6 percent to 62.4 percent and will enter into force on September 10, the Chinese ministry of commerce said. The provisional measures are still subject to its investigation, which had already been extended until December.
– ‘Pork sector sacrificed’ –
China — the world’s leading consumer of pork — imported 4.3 billion yuan ($600 million) in pork products from major producer Spain alone last year, according to official Chinese customs data. France, meanwhile, exported 115,000 tonnes of pork to China in 2024, according to industry association Inaporc. “China is our top export market — we export parts not consumed in Europe, such as feet and ears,” Anne Richard, director of Inaporc, told AFP. Richard denied the dumping allegations and said the probe was “retaliatory.” “In fact, the prices of our pork feet are higher than if we sold them in Europe,” she said.
Spain’s Agriculture Minister Luis Planas said he supported “resolving any dispute that may exist through negotiation” and insisted that trade relations with China were “fluid and intense.” But Spanish producers were less sanguine. The farmers’ association of the eastern Valencia region accused the EU of “sacrificing the pork sector” to protect its car industry.
– Testy relations –
Beijing’s move comes on the heels of a diplomatic blitz that saw President Xi Jinping meet face-to-face with several prominent adversaries of Western governments, including Russia’s Vladimir Putin and North Korea’s Kim Jong Un. Top EU diplomat Kaja Kallas on Wednesday criticised the three leaders’ joint appearance at a parade marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II as “a direct challenge to the international system built on rules.” The statement by Kallas drew choice words from a spokesman for China’s foreign ministry, who said Thursday that “remarks made by a certain EU official are full of ideological bias.”
Much to the chagrin of EU leaders, Beijing has never denounced Russia’s war nor called for it to withdraw its troops. Many of Ukraine’s allies believe that China has provided support to Moscow, repeatedly calling on Beijing to exert pressure on Putin to end the war. China insists it is a neutral party, regularly calling for an end to the fighting while also accusing Western countries of prolonging the conflict by arming Ukraine.
Earlier on Friday, Beijing’s foreign ministry said it “strongly opposes” calls by US President Donald Trump for European leaders to put economic pressure on China over the war in Ukraine. Recent years have seen entrenched political disagreements between Beijing and Brussels threaten their strong economic relationship. The current trade spat erupted last summer when the European Union moved towards imposing hefty tariffs on EVs imported from China, arguing that Beijing’s subsidies were unfairly undercutting European competitors. Beijing denied that claim and announced what were widely seen as retaliatory probes into imported European pork, brandy, and dairy products.
© 2024 AFP
