Brussels officials have denounced the taxes of up to 42.7% imposed by China on dairy products from the EU, considering them unjustified.

CE reacted on Monday, December 22, to China's decision to impose tariffs of up to 42.7% on certain dairy products from the European Union, calling this measure 'unjustified'. The tariffs, which range from 21.9% to 42.7%, will come into effect on Tuesday and target products such as fresh and processed cheese, blue cheese, and some types of milk and cream. The Ministry of Commerce in Beijing announced that it has started an anti-subsidy investigation in August 2024, at the request of the China Dairy Association, which will be completed in February. Although Beijing claims that EU subsidies have caused significant damage to the domestic dairy industry, European officials contest these conclusions, stating that the investigation is based on questionable allegations. This trade tension comes after China imposed anti-dumping tariffs on pork imports from the EU and in the context of an unbalanced economic relationship, especially following the tariffs imposed by the EU on Chinese electric vehicles. French President Emmanuel Macron stated that Europe will consider strong measures against China if the trade imbalance is not addressed. Alongside these trade frictions, China and the EU also have divergences on issues such as Russia's invasion of Ukraine.