China has set final anti‑dumping tariffs of 4.9%–19.8% on EU pork imports. The Commerce Ministry reduced earlier provisional security deposits that reached up to 62.4% and said the measures address alleged dumping that harmed China’s pork industry. The duties — covering all pork types and by‑products — take effect from Wednesday and will remain in place for five years. Spain, the Netherlands and Denmark are expected to be hardest hit.
China Slaps Final Anti‑Dumping Tariffs of 4.9%–19.8% on EU Pork, Cutting Earlier Provisional Rates
FILE - Shoppers past near imported pork products from Spain at a supermarket in Beijing, Tuesday, June 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan, File)
China's Commerce Ministry announced final anti‑dumping duties ranging from 4.9% to 19.8% on pork imports from the European Union, a sharp reduction from preliminary security‑deposit rates that reached as high as 62.4%.
The duties follow a formal investigation Beijing launched after the EU imposed provisional tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles. The ministry said it found evidence that some EU pork and pig by‑products had been sold in China at prices below production costs or domestic market rates, harming Chinese producers.
Scope and Impact
The final measures, set to take effect from the Wednesday following the announcement and lasting five years, will apply to all pork product categories: fresh, chilled, frozen, dried, pickled, smoked and salted items, including by‑products such as ears, snouts and feet.
In September, China required preliminary security deposits of 15.6%–32.7% for EU firms that cooperated with investigators, and up to 62.4% for those that did not. The Commerce Ministry said its final determination was reached in an "objective, fair and impartial manner."
Related Measures and Trade Context
Beijing also announced anti‑dumping duties on some European brandy (notably French cognac), though major producers received exemptions. Imports of certain EU dairy products have similarly been subject to probe.
The move comes against a backdrop of a large EU trade deficit with China — over €300 billion last year — and a shifting pork import pattern. EU exports of pork to China peaked at €7.4 billion in 2020 after African swine fever devastated China’s herds, but imports have since declined as domestic production recovered.
Who Will Be Most Affected
Market observers expect exporters in Spain, the Netherlands and Denmark to be the most affected by the new duties, given their sizeable shipments of pork and by‑products to China.
China’s Commerce Ministry: "The anti‑dumping investigation and final duties protect the domestic pork industry from unfair pricing practices."
The duties will remain under review as trade relations evolve, and exporters and trade bodies may yet pursue appeals or request reviews under China’s trade remedy procedures.
