Beijing, July 10 (EFE).- China on Wednesday said it was investigating alleged free trade barriers by the European Union (EU) on Chinese companies.
The investigation by the Chinese Ministry of Commerce is a tit-for-tat probe by the European bloc’s anti-subsidy investigation on Chinese transport and green energy firms.
The Chinese probe, which will run until Jan 10, 2025 with the possibility of an extension until April next year, will look into “a trade and investment barrier investigation into the relevant practices adopted by the EU in its investigation of Chinese enterprises,” the ministry said in a statement.
The statement said the ministry decided to launch the probe after a complaint by the national chamber of commerce for importing and exporting machinery and electronics.
The statement said the investigation would examine in detail the impact of EU probe on “products such as railway locomotives, photovoltaics, wind power and security inspection equipment.”
The decision comes in response to the application of compensatory tariffs by the EU on Chinese electric vehicles, a measure that Beijing considers unjustified and protectionist.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning last week strongly opposed the provisional tariffs of the European Union on electric vehicles, which came into force on July 5.
The spokesperson told reporter that “trade issues should be resolved through dialogue and consultations.”
Given that there are four months left before the EU tariffs come into force, Beijing has increased commercial pressure, hoping that the bloc will back down.
In recent weeks, the Chinese authorities have counterattacked with an investigation into European pork, which especially affects Spain, its main supplier, and by advancing tariffs on large displacement vehicles and “anti-dumping” investigations into dairy products from the bloc. EFE
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