China targets EU pork in tit-for-tat trade spat

China has launched an anti-dumping investigation into pork imports from the European Union after the bloc decided to impose new tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles.

The investigation could eventually lead to an increase in China’s tariffs on EU pork products, hitting Spain, the Netherlands, Denmark, Germany and France.

Currently, China levies a 12% tariff on the EU’s meat imports. Some analysts said if the levy is increased to 20% many European exporters will feel the heat of the trade war. They said pork exporters in the EU will not be able to offset their losses in China, even if they explore new markets such as Vietnam and the Philippines.

China’s Ministry of Commerce said Monday that its investigation will focus on pork imported from the EU for human consumption, including fresh, dried, smoked, preserved, cold and frozen whole cuts, as well as pig intestines, stomachs and bladders. It said the probe will begin immediately.

It added that the probe was prompted by a complaint submitted by the China Animal Husbandry Association on June 6 on behalf of the domestic pork industry in China.

It said those who were affected by the alleged dumping activities should contact the Trade Remedy and Investigation Bureau of the Ministry of Commerce to join the investigation. It said they can submit their opinions to the bureau within 20 days from Monday.

Statistics showed that China consumed a total of 57.94 million tons of pork and pork by-products in 2023 while the country only imported 1.55 million tons.

About half of pork imports in China came from Europe. From 2014 to 2020, China’s pork imports continued to grow. After the figure peaked at 4.39 million tons in 2020, it has declined gradually. It fell to 1.55 million tons last