Trade Tensions: China Hits EU Dairy Imports With 43% Duties After Probe

China levied initial duties on some dairy imports from the European Union following an anti-subsidy probe, the latest move in a tit-for-tat trade dispute with the bloc.

In a preliminary decision, China said it will impose duties of up to 43% on some EU dairy products after finding they were subsidized, according to the Commerce Ministry. 

The tariffs, collected in the form of deposits, have been imposed on products including some fresh and processed cheeses and cream, the ministry said in a statement on its website. French dairy firm Fromarsac is facing levies of 30%, while some companies under Dutch cheesemaker FrieslandCampina have been hit with 43% levies, it said in a separate statement.

Fromarsac and FrieslandCampina did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

China’s proposed measures, though narrowly targeted, could worsen trade tensions with Europe. The EU voted in October last year to impose tariffs as high as 45% on electric vehicles from China and is investigating government subsidies across a range of sectors. 

Beijing launched the probe into dairy shipments from the EU in 2024, then extended it in August for another six months, due to the “complexity of the case.” China also imposed anti-dumping levies ranging from 5% to 20% on pork imports from the bloc last week, softening preliminary measures taken in September.  

The EU has challenged the dairy probe by requesting consultations via the World Trade Organization. The bloc’s cheese exports so far in 2025 have been led by the US, UK and Japan, according to a government report.