China opens anti-subsidy probe into European dairy imports By Reuters

BEIJING (Reuters) – China has opened an anti-subsidy investigation into dairy products imported from the European Union, a move that appears aimed mainly at Ireland and in response to the bloc’s restrictions on its electric vehicle exports.

The investigation announced Wednesday by China’s Ministry of Commerce will focus on various types of cheese, milk and cream intended for human consumption.

The investigation began on August 21.

It was prompted by a complaint filed by the China Dairy Association and China Dairy Industry Association on July 29 on behalf of the domestic dairy industry, the ministry said.

China will review 20 subsidy schemes from across the 27-year-old bloc, particularly those in Austria, Belgium, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Finland, Italy, Ireland and Romania, it said in a statement.

Of the countries listed, Ireland is by far the largest dairy exporter to China, having sold $461 million worth of goods to the Asian nation last year.

The EU on Tuesday revised its proposed punitive tariffs on imports of Chinese-made electric vehicles, but failed to drop them, as Beijing has urged Brussels to do.