Overview
- China began collecting import security deposits on selected EU dairy from December 23 as part of a more-than-yearlong anti-subsidy probe due to conclude by February 21, 2026.
- Company-specific rates apply, including 21.9% for Italy’s Sterilgarda, 29.7% for a dozen French firms, 28.6% for roughly 50 other companies, and 42.7% for FrieslandCampina’s Belgian and Dutch units, with the maximum rate for non-cooperating exporters.
- Beijing says preliminary findings indicate EU subsidies harmed China’s dairy industry, while the European Commission disputes the evidence and labels the measures unjustified.
- The provisional measures target products such as fresh and blue cheeses and certain milks, while major categories like whey and milk powder are excluded; China imported about $589 million of the affected items in 2024.
- The step is widely viewed as linked to EU tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, and follows China’s recent extension—at reduced rates—of provisional duties on EU pork.