BEIJING: China on Tuesday (Dec 16) sharply reduced tariffs on European Union pork imports worth over US$2 billion in the final ruling of an anti-dumping investigation seen as a response to the bloc's duties on Chinese electric vehicles.

Some from the European pork industry voiced relief at the decision though they said the tariffs would still hurt. The European Commission expressed concern, pledging to defend exporters.

China will impose tariffs of between 4.9 per cent and 19.8 per cent on pork imports from the bloc for a five-year period starting on Wednesday, well below the 15.6 per cent-62.4 per cent imposed in a preliminary decision in September, China's Ministry of Commerce said in a statement.

Importers will receive a refund on the difference between the rates paid since September.

The decision is a partial reprieve for European producers who depend heavily on the Chinese market, especially for the offal - such as pig ears and feet - rarely eaten elsewhere.

EUROPEAN COMMISSION'S RESPONSE

China's anti-dumping investigation began in June last year and has affected major pork exporters such as Spain, the Netherlands and Denmark.

In 2024, over half of China's US$4.8 billion worth of pork imports came from the EU, with Spain leading the bloc in exports by volume. That accounted for 17.6 per cent of EU pork exports, the second highest behind the UK, which imported a 29.7 per cent share, according to Spanish government data.

In a statement on Tuesday, the European Commission described China's investigation as "based on questionable allegations and insufficient evidence."

It vowed to defend EU farmers and exporters against what it called Beijing's "abusive use of trade defence instruments" and said it was "carefully assessing all the information available against compliance with WTO rules".

China also has an anti-subsidy investigation into European Union dairy exports that is due to report next February and has already imposed