China launches investigation into EU trade barriers

The investigation, which will run until January 10, 2025 (with the possibility of extending it until April of that year), will focus on EU practices in its investigations into Chinese companies under the ‘Regulation on foreign subsidies distorting the internal market of the European Union’ and its implementing rules.

The statement released today by the trade portfolio highlights that the investigation will examine in detail the impact of EU measures on specific sectors such as railways, photovoltaics, wind energy and safety inspection equipment.

Chinese authorities will use a variety of methods to collect information, including questionnaires, public hearings and on-site inspections.

He Ministry of Commerce has enabled channels for interested parties to submit comments and access relevant information about the investigation, establishing a period of twenty days for the submission of initial comments.

This decision is made in response to the recent application of countervailing duties by the EU on Chinese electric vehiclesa measure that the Asian giant considers unjustified and protectionist.

China opposes EU tariffs

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning expressed last week the Beijing’s “strong opposition” to the European Union’s (EU) provisional tariffs on vehicles from the Asian giant, which came into effect on July 5, and declared at a press conference that “trade issues should be resolved through dialogue and consultation.”

With four months to go before the tariffs take full effect, Beijing is hoping the bloc will back down, which is why it has stepped up trade pressure.

In recent weeks, Chinese authorities have counterattacked with a European pig research -which particularly affects Spain, its main supplier- and advancing tariffs on large-displacement vehicles or anti-dumping investigations on dairy products from the community bloc.