BEIJING (Reuters) – China’s Commerce Ministry said on Wednesday it would extend its anti-dumping investigation into wine spirits from the European Union (EU) for another three months.
The investigation, launched on January 5 and which was to last a year, will be extended until April 5 due to its “complexity”, the ministry said in a brief press release, without giving further details.
The ministry specified in October that the investigation should end no later than January 5, 2025 but that it could be extended by six months “in special circumstances”.
Beijing imposed provisional anti-dumping measures on imports of certain spirits from the EU in October, widely seen as retaliation for the Twenty-Seven’s proposed tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles.
Under the measures, Chinese importers must provide what Beijing describes as security deposits to Chinese customs of almost 40% if they want to import European wine spirits.
In November, the European Commission referred the matter to the World Trade Organization (WTO) to challenge the measures imposed by China.
Exports of French cognac to China accounted for 99% of imports of this spirit into the country last year amounting to $1.7 billion.
(Written by Ryan Woo; Kate Entringer)
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