China announces tariffs of up to 19.8% on EU pork

BeijingChina has imposed definitive tariffs of between 4.9% and 19.8% on pork imports from the European Union. The measure is a response to European tariffs on Chinese electric cars. Beijing has shown restraint and left the door open to future agreements with the EU, as in September it threatened provisional tariffs of up to 62.4% on European pork imports. The decision will particularly affect Spain, which is the main European exporter of pork to the Asian giant. The new tariffs take effect immediately this Wednesday, December 17, with the intention that they remain in force for a period of five years. The Chinese Ministry of Commerce announced the new tariffs through a brief statement on its website. With this, Beijing has concluded its investigation. antidumping which began in 2024 accusing the European pork sector of unfair competition.

The tariffs differentiate between companies that have cooperated with the investigation and those that have not. Among those that fare best are Spanish companies. Litera Meat is subject to the lowest tariff, 4.9%, rewarding its cooperation. Other Spanish companies, such as El Pozo, Cárnicas Celra, Corporación Alimentaria Guissona, Sánchez Romero Carvajal, Argal, Campofrío, Noel, and Friselva, are subject to a 9.8% rate, placing them in the middle of the scale. Conversely, the Dutch company Vion, which did not participate in the process, is penalized with tariffs of 19.8%.

The announcement of the final tariffs comes while efforts are still underway to resolve the crisis caused by the reappearance of African swine fever in Catalonia. Beijing has only suspended imports in the area quarantined due to the swine fever outbreak thanks to an agreement recently signed during the Spanish monarchs' visit to China. The Chinese General Administration of Customs suspended purchases from twelve companies in the Barcelona area. The Asian giant, the world's leading consumer of pork, is the primary destination for Spanish and Catalan pork exports. In 2024, some 540,000 tons of pork products were sold, valued at €1.097 billion. In total, the Asian giant accounts for 17.6% of all EU pork exports. Sales of pork products to the Asian giant skyrocketed following the African swine fever outbreak that struck the country in 2018 and 2019, forcing the culling of a large portion of its livestock.

The investigation carried out by the Chinese side has not affected Iberian ham or cured meats, which are hardly sold in the country. In addition to meat, China buys mainly offal and cuts of meat that are less valued in Europe, such as pig ears, snouts, and trotters, which, however, are highly prized in local cuisine.

Tensions between Beijing and Brussels over fears that Chinese electric cars, subsidized by the government, would flood the European market have made the pork sector a collateral victim.

Beijing responded to the tariffs on its electric cars with investigations into certain dairy products, brandy, and pork. The pork sector particularly affects Spain, a country with which Beijing has always maintained excellent relations. Spanish President Pedro Sánchez even went so far as to request, during a trip to China, that the tariffs on electric cars be reassessed.