Chinese dairy duties 'unjustified and unwarranted', EU spokesperson says
EU says China's trade probe lacks solid evidence as tariff tensions rise amid ongoing retaliatory measures between Brussels and Beijing. - REUTERS
BRUSSELS: China's announcement to impose provisional duties of 21.9% to 42.7% on certain dairy products imported from the EU starting on December 23 is "unjustified and unwarranted," a spokesperson for the European Commission said on Monday (December 22).
"The Commission's assessment is that the investigation is based on questionable allegations and insufficient evidence, and that the measures are therefore unjustified and unwarranted," spokesperson Olof Gill said on Monday.
Monday's decision is provisional and could be revised when a final ruling is made. China significantly lowered provisional tariffs on pork in its final decision last week.
Trade tensions with the EU erupted in 2023 when the European Commission - which oversees the bloc's trade policy - launched an anti-subsidy investigation into Chinese-made electric vehicles.
Beijing has investigated and imposed tariffs on imports of EU brandy, pork and now dairy, measures seen as retaliatory.
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