China decided to prolong for another six months the anti-dumping investigation into pork imports from the European Union, a move that stiffened possible openings in trade between Beijing and Brussels.
In recent weeks, the EU and China have been trying to stabilise their trade relationship in the wake of Donald Trump‘s protectionist agenda and tariff war. China and the EU are working towards a bilateral meeting in Beijing in the second half of July to discuss new trade policies.
However, the decision to continue the probe on pork imports until the end of 2025 shows the fragility of the current situation. China is the world’s largest consumer of pork, and EU farmers, particularly those from Spain, the Netherlands, and Denmark, have been increasing their exports to China, especially of pork parts with low consumption rates in Europe, such as ears, feet, and snouts.
The investigation into pork imports has been largely seen as a retaliatory move by China against higher tariffs on Chinese-made electric vehicles. Those tariffs, set up in 2024, raised to up to 45% for some Chinese carmakers following an investigation by the EU that concluded they receive unfair state advantages compared to European firms.
Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao and EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič recently discussed EV tariffs at a meeting in Paris. Negotiations may move from tariffs to a set minimum price on Chinese-made EVs, to avoid punitive tariffs but still addressing the issue at local level.
In Paris, the two politicians also discussed other recent trade tariffs added between China and the EU. China recently imposed restrictions on the exports of rare earth minerals, primarily in response to US tariffs, but its implementation has also harmed European firms. The EU has also recently imposed new limitations on Chinese medical device makers’ access to public procurement contracts, following China’s decision to promote domestic producers in its internal market, which puts EU firms at a disadvantage.
According to the European Commission, China is looking at all these various recent measures and seems willing to talk about them. Nothing is likely set to be announced before the China-EU summit in July.
