by Casey Hall
BEIJING (Reuters) – China’s Commerce Ministry said on Tuesday it was considering including Martell, Hennessy and Rémy Martin in its anti-competitive investigation into wine spirits imported from the European Union (EU). .
Martell & Co is a subsidiary of Pernod Ricard, the company Jas Hennessy & Co of the luxury group LVMH and E. Remy Martin & Co of Rémy Cointreau.
The companies did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
The ministry launched an anti-competitive investigation into European wine spirits, such as cognac, in January after a complaint from the China Alcoholic Beverage Association.
It comes in a context of growing tensions with the EU, which has launched investigations into subsidies on Chinese electric vehicles and imports of biodiesel.
The National Interprofessional Cognac Bureau (BNIC), which represents French manufacturers, said it would cooperate fully with Chinese authorities, but believed the investigation was linked to a broader commercial dispute rather than the spirits market.
He estimated in January, in a press release sent to Reuters, that the chosen level of dumping would allow cognac players to demonstrate that their “commercial practices are completely respectful of Chinese and international regulations”.
The BNIC did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the latest developments in the investigation.
(Beijing Office; Kate Entringer, edited by Blandine Hénault)
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