China has slapped tariffs of up to 42.7% on European producers of certain dairy products, reports the South China Morning Post. This includes cheese and cream products.
Chinese investigators made a preliminary determination that the European Union provided “substantial subsidies” to the milk and dairy products industry “through programmes such as the common agricultural policy” and caused “material injury” to Chinese domestic producers, according to a ministry statement.
The provisional tariffs of 21.9 to 42.7%, depending on companies, will be collected in the form of cash deposits. The fees mark the latest measures following investigations against European agricultural products launched last year by Beijing in retaliation for the EU’s anti-subsidy tariffs on electric vehicles made in China.