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Spain will convey to Brussels its concern about the Chinese investigation into EU pork

by AI | 11.Jul 2024 | Europe in brief AI

Spain will convey its concern to the European Commission on Monday over China’s announced investigation into pork imports originating in the EU.

Production of Iberian ham, Puerto Gil, Spain, on September 22, 2022. Photo: Edwin Remsberg / Vwpics / Zuma Press / ContactoPhoto

Brussels – Spain will convey its concern to the European Commission on Monday about the Chinese authorities’ ‘antidumping’ investigation into imports of pork meat and relevant pork by-products originating in the European Union, which Beijing has launched in retaliation for the EU tariffs on its electric car.

The Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China announced last June the opening of this ‘antidumping’ investigation, an initiative that came days after Brussels announced the imposition of tariffs of up to 38.1% on electric battery cars imported from China.

Upon learning of the announcement from the Asian giant, the European Commission said it was closely monitoring the investigation and warned that it would intervene if the process did not comply with World Trade Organization (WTO) rules.

Diplomatic sources have assured that “there is concern” in several member states, including Spain, as one of the main producers and exporters of pork to China, although they also point out that the initiative has been taken to diversify markets to avoid greater consequences.

This will be one of the debates around which the first meeting of Agriculture ministers to be held under the Hungarian presidency of the Council will revolve, within the framework of a broader discussion on trade-related issues.

Thus, it is expected that some ministers will raise the issue, but diplomatic sources do not anticipate that there will be a “strong political debate,” which does not mean that this will not happen later, something for which the Hungarian presidency assures to be “prepared.”

Several delegations agree that it is “too early” to know what the consequences for agri-food products will be from the EU tariffs on Chinese electric cars and admit that, in any case, it will be a “very long” process in which the Commission will inform the Twenty-Seven on occasional progress, although no decisions or measures are expected in the short term.

Despite the growing concern among the member states with greater weight of pork exports in their economy, the same sources have indicated that it was expected that China would take protective measures now that its production sector is “recovered” and see it “positively” that the EU has been able to “take the initiative and diversify markets” to avoid disruptions. (11 July)