China lowers tariffs on EU dairy imports to 11.7%

CHINA – China has reduced its import tariffs on EU dairy imports from the provisional rates imposed in December 2025.

The European Commission and The European Dairy Association (EDA) had lobbied Beijing in opposition to the duties ranging from 21.9% to 42.7%, which were put in place by China’s Ministry of Commerce last year following an anti-dumping probe launched in 2024.

The Commission notified the relevant European dairy bodies of the tariff cuts to 11.7% on the top side, with some EU companies enjoying even lower rates of 9.5%, such as Denmark-headquartered Arla Foods and France-based Lactalis.

The EDA stated that it is due to meet with the Commission to discuss the new tariffs, “An EU response should focus on defending market access, supporting affected exporters where necessary, and avoiding escalation that could further disrupt dairy markets,” the association said in a brief statement.

It added: “China blames EU dairy imports for the drop in Chinese domestic sales prices, but our own analysis shows that there is no impact from CAP [Common Agriculture Policy] instruments on Chinese markets for cheese and cream. All CAP measures cited by the Chinese authorities have been notified to and approved by the WTO.”

China announced in December 2025 that the provisional duties were based on a proposal submitted to the State Council’s Customs Tariff Commission.

The reduction comes after China announced that it will impose provisional anti-subsidy duties of up to 42.7% on dairy products imported from the European Union, intensifying trade tensions widely viewed as retaliation for the EU’s tariffs on Chinese-made electric vehicles.

Products targeted include unsweetened milk and cream, as well as fresh and processed cheeses such as French Roquefort and Camembert.

Notably, the product list does not include infant formula, one of the EU dairy sector’s highest-margin export categories to China.

China’s Ministry of Commerce said its investigation found evidence that EU dairy exports were subsidised and had caused material injury to domestic producers.

The European Commission rejected China’s findings, describing the investigation as being based on “questionable allegations” and “insufficient evidence” and calling the provisional duties “unjustified and unwarranted”.

The Commission, which oversees EU trade policy, confirmed it had already lodged a complaint with the World Trade Organization more than a year ago.

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