Trade tensions escalate as China imposes anti-dumping duties on EU pork imports

China’s Ministry of Commerce has claimed it has found evidence that Europe is dumping pork and pig by‑products on the Chinese market, and has approved duties on EU pork imports starting on September 10.

The country says this poses a threat of damage to the domestic pork industry and has therefore placed initial anti-dumping duties of up to 62.4% on pork imports worth over US$2 billion from the EU.

The anti-dumping duties were imposed following China’s launch of an investigation in June 2024, following EU tariffs on electric vehicles.

Standoff between China and EU over electric cars

The European Commission has not yet replied to China’s latest move but has blasted the investigation for being based on “questionable allegations and insufficient evidence.” 

EU pork producers had been hoping to avoid such duties and had been closely monitoring the possibility of a deal being brokered between the two trading partners. But that has so far not been the case.

Previously, the National Pork Association of France (INAPORC) flagged China as a key partner in the French pork industry. It is particularly significant as a primary export market for cuts rarely consumed in Europe, mainly offal. Every year, France exports 115,700 metric tons of pork products to China, representing 16% of total pork exports in 2023. 

China says the decision is only preliminary and could be subject to change when the investigation ends in December.