A new front has opened in the already tense trade relations between China and the EU: Beijing is going to impose taxes on certain cheeses, milks and creams, a measure strongly denounced by Brussels and European producers, who consider it completely unjustified.
Brussels – “Provisional” customs duties on certain European dairy products will range from 21.9% to 42.7% and will come into force on Tuesday, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce announced on Monday.
They concern in particular fresh and processed cheeses, blue cheeses as well as certain milks and creams, which according to Beijing benefit from subsidies causing “substantial harm” to Chinese competitors.
“This is a very negative development” in relations between the EU and China, a spokesperson for the European Commission said on Monday.
“It’s a shock, a sledgehammer blow,” added François-Xavier Huard, CEO of the French National Federation of the Dairy Industry, speaking to AFP.
The Chinese government made this decision as part of an anti-subsidy investigation launched in August 2024, officially following a request from the Dairy Association of China.
But for the Europeans, it was a retaliatory measure, linked to the EU’s decision to impose high customs duties on electric vehicles manufactured in China. (22 December 2025)
