China Sets New Dairy Tariffs on EU Imports After Probe
China will impose anti-subsidy duties ranging from 7.4 % to 11.7 % on certain dairy products imported from the European Union, effective 13 February 2026, the country’s Ministry of Commerce announced following the conclusion of an 18-month investigation into alleged subsidies on EU dairy exports.
The tariffs, which will remain in force for five years, apply to a broad category of products including fresh and processed cheese, curd, blue cheese and some milk and cream products. These final rates are significantly lower than the 21.9 %–42.7 % provisional duties China had initially proposed during the preliminary stages of the probe in late 2025.
China launched the countervailing investigation in August 2024 at the request of domestic dairy industry bodies, which claimed that subsidised EU imports were causing material injury to China’s own producers. After wide consultation and data analysis, the ministry concluded that a causal link exists between subsidies and harm to China’s dairy sector and imposed the duties accordingly.
The European Commission criticised the measures as “unjustified”, even though it acknowledged that the final tariff levels were lower than those initially suggested. Brussels has indicated it may pursue recourse through the World Trade Organization to challenge China’s decision.
While the duties are now far below the earlier proposed levies, the new tariffs still protect a degree of domestic competition by making EU dairy products more expensive in the Chinese market, particularly relative to exporters from countries like New Zealand, which holds preferential access through a free-trade agreement.
Source : Dairynews7x7 Feb 14th 2026 Read full story here
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