BRANDY, EVS
The ministry earlier said that Commerce Minister Wang during the meeting “expressed the hope that the EU will meet us halfway and take effective measures to facilitate, safeguard and promote compliant trade in high-tech products to China”.
Chinese anti-dumping measures that applied duties of up to 39 per cent on imports of European brandy – with French cognac bearing the brunt – have also strained relations between Paris and Beijing.
The brandy duties were enforced days after the EU took action against Chinese-made electric vehicle imports to shield its local industry, prompting France’s President Emmanuel Macron to accuse Beijing of “pure retaliation”.
The Chinese duties have dented sales of brands including LVMH’s Hennessy, Pernod Ricard’s Martell and Remy Cointreau.
Beijing was initially meant to make a final decision on the brandy duties by January, but extended the deadline to April and then again to July 5.
