The Chinese Ministry of Commerce has announced it will extend its anti-dumping probe into EU brandy, which could signal a potential ease of tensions between Brussels and Beijing. 

China originally announced the investigation in January 2024, scheduled to last a year, with the threat of tariffs imposed on EU brandy imports. However, the Chinese government has now said on social platform X that the investigation will now run until April 5, 2025, due to the “intricacies” of the case.

It explained that EU exporters have submitted an application for price undertakings and the domestic brandy industry has “legally sought protection.”

“Given the intricacies involved in this investigation and at the request of the EU side, the investigating authorities decided to extend the final decision deadline, with the hope that the parties concerned would continue their cooperation in the investigation,” says the government in a statement. 

Months of mounting trade tensions

The news follows months of tensions between the two parties, which have been locked in trade disagreements about spirits, dairy and meat products. Most recently, the EU Commission (EC) formally requested consultations at the World Trade Organization about the brandy probe. The EC said at the time it would take “strong, early action” to protect its interests.  

Trade group Spirits Europe tells Food Ingredients First that it has “taken note” of China’s decision to prolong the investigation and called on the EC to protect the industry. 

“Our sector will continue to cooperate fully with the investigation to demonstrate the absence of dumping, injury and threat of injury. We call on the European Commission to redouble its efforts to find a negotiated solution with its Chinese counterparts urgently so that definitive duties may not be imposed on our products,” says Ulrich Adam, director general for the organization.

A spokesperson for the EC did not respond for comment at the time of writing.