China hits Europe – Up to 43 percent tariffs on dairy products before Christmas

China’s Ministry of Commerce announced on Monday that the country will impose tariffs of up to 42.7 percent on certain dairy products imported from the EU. The decision is based on a 16-month subsidy investigation, which China believes has shown that EU dairy products have been subsidized and that China’s own dairy industry has suffered significant harm as a result.

New tariffs that will remain of the Financial Times according to most companies to slightly less than 30 percent, will come into effect on Tuesday, December 23. On the other hand, for example, a Dutch person FrieslandCampina told Bloomberg that China is threatening it with 43 percent tariffs.

China’s antitrust investigation started in August 2024, i.e. shortly after the EU had started its own antitrust investigation into Chinese electric cars and imposed new tariffs on them. China has also opened separate investigations into EU pork and cognac.

Although the countermeasures related to electric cars have since been overshadowed by new US tariffs on China, the tariffs on dairy products continue to reflect ongoing tensions in EU-China trade relations. The EU has repeatedly claimed that the trade relationship is unbalanced.

The EU has previously complained to the World Trade Organization about barriers to the import of dairy products.