European pork heavyweights Danish Crown, Vion and Litera Meat have been named by China as part of its anti-dumping probe into European Union pork imports.
The investigation, widely seen as a tit-for-tat measure in response to the EU imposing hefty tariffs on Chinese-made electric vehicles exports, is focusing on pork intended for human consumption, such as fresh, cold and frozen whole cuts, as well as pig intestines, bladders and stomachs.
The announcement naming the three companies was reported in China’s official state news agency Xinhua.
It said Beijing will conduct the anti-dumping investigation using samples of the three companies named.
China will also investigate the impact on local pork producers with 24 domestic companies selected to fill in a questionnaire.
“Given the large number of EU exporters and Chinese domestic producers involved, a full investigation would overburden the investigating authorities and prevent the timely completion of the investigation,” Xinhua reported, quoting from a statement from China's Ministry of Commerce.
The statement went on: “Initial sampling result showed that the top three EU exporters in terms of export volume within the investigation period are selected and required to fill in a questionnaire within the prescribed time, namely Danish Crown, Vion Boxtel [and] Litera Meat.”
China launched the anti-dumping investigation on 17 June. It is looking into certain pork and pig by-products originating from the EU from 1 January 2023 to 31 December 2023.
It is expected to be completed by 17 June 2025 but could be extended by another six months if required.
News agency Reuters reported the measures could badly impact Europe because a large portion of the bloc's pork shipments to China are pig ears, noses, feet and offal that are only rarely consumed by Europeans.
It quoted Danish bacon giant Danish Crown as saying: "Danish Crown has registered to participate in the investigation and submitted all relevant information to the investigating authority."
Just Food asked the three companies for their response to China’s announcement.
A Danish Crown spokesperson said: "Danish Crown takes notice of the decision to include Danish Crown in the anti-dumping investigation on imported pork and pork by-products from the European Union initiated by the Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China.
"Danish Crown has registered to participate in the investigation and submitted all relevant information to the investigating authority. As a global company with a large export of pork, Danish Crown is a strong supporter of free trade in a rule-based global community. Therefore, Danish Crown will remain fully committed and transparent in the anti-dumping investigation, and we foresee a continued constructive collaboration with all relevant authorities and parties to the investigation."
Vion said it shares the view of the Netherlands-based Central Organisation for the Meat Sector (COV), which said in a statement: "The position of the COV remains unchanged. There is absolutely no dumping of European pork products on the Chinese market. We are confident that the People's Republic of China's investigation will prove this.
"We hope to continue the mutually beneficial cooperation with China so that we can provide Chinese consumers with high-quality, safe and sustainable pork products from Europe."
The companies may have been named because the countries they come from have been supportive of the EU’s EV tariff move but Spain is the biggest EU pork supplier to China, followed by the Netherlands, Denmark and France.
Reuters, quoting Chinese customs data, said China imported $6bn worth of pork, including offal, in 2023 and more than half of that came from the EU.
'Dumping’ is defined as the practice of selling goods in an importing country at a significantly lower price than in the producer country.
