China announced today that from tomorrow, December 23, it will impose tariffs of up to 42,7% on dairy products from European Union countries, arguing that subsidies provided by European governments and the EU itself to dairy producers hurt its own production.
As reported by CNBC, a statement from China's Ministry of Commerce notes that the tariffs will apply from tomorrow, December 23. The tariffs range from 21.9% to 42.7%, with companies "that cooperated in the investigation" subject to tariffs of 28.6% and those that "did not cooperate" facing the top rate of 42.7%, according to a statement from a Commerce Department official.
Products that will be affected include fresh, processed and blue cheeses (such as the famous blue cheese Roquefort aged in the caves of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon in France), as well as some types of milk and cream.
The latest tariffs mark an escalation of trade tensions between China and the EU, which escalated when Brussels imposed tariffs of up to 45% on electric vehicles imported from China.
