CHINA. The Ministry of Commerce yesterday (8 October) slapped heavy ‘temporary anti-dumping’ measures on imported European brandies, effective 11 October.
The tariffs, provisional in nature and ranging from 30.6% to 39.0%, are in response to the majority of European Union (EU) countries approving heavy duties on Chinese-made electric vehicles, due to take effect at the end of October.
From this Friday (11 October), importers will be required to pay a corresponding guarantee to the level of duty (averaging 35%) to Chinese customs when importing EU-origin brandies, the Ministry said.
Cognac industry association Bureau National Interprofessionnel du Cognac (BNIC) hit out at the French government’s provocation of the Chinese authorities. “Faced with this development, the French authorities cannot abandon us and leave us alone to face Chinese retaliation that does not concern us,” the BNIC said.
“As we have been saying for months, the impact of these taxes would be catastrophic for our industries and our regions.
“As France and China celebrate the 60th anniversary of the reestablishment of diplomatic relations this year, everything must be done to avoid this outcome.
“We call on our government to finally take the necessary steps to put an end to this escalation, of which we are hostages and whose outcome is now more threatening than ever.”
The Ministry of Commerce had stated on 29 August that European brandy, including Cognac and Armagnac, was being dumped in China, threatening domestic producers. ✈
