EU condemns Chinese decision to impose tariffs on certain European dairy products

BRUSSELS, Dec 22 (KUNA) -- The European Union condemned on Monday the tariffs announced by China on certain European dairy products.
European Commission spokesperson Olof Gill told reporters that the new Chinese measures are "unjustified and not based on sound grounds." According to the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, these so-called "temporary" tariffs will range between 21.9 percent and 42.7 percent and will come into effect on Tuesday.
The tariffs cover a wide range of products, particularly fresh and processed cheeses, blue cheeses, as well as certain types of milk and cream, which Beijing claims benefit from European subsidies, causing significant harm to Chinese competitors.
The Chinese measures come in the context of an investigation launched by Chinese authorities in August 2024 into the support received by the European cheese industry, linking EU subsidies to "serious damage" to the domestic dairy sector.
The Commission spokesperson affirmed that the EU is taking all necessary steps to defend European farmers and exporters against what he described as "Chinaآ’s arbitrary use of trade defence measures," recalling that the Commission had already resorted to the World Trade Organization regarding this issue.
He added that "this is a very negative development" in EU-China relations.
According to the European Commission, Beijing intends to conclude its investigation into the European dairy sector in February, the date when the measures could become final. However, Brussels is seeking to persuade China to reverse them. (end) arn.rk