The Ministry of Commerce of China File photo: VCG

China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) announced on Monday that it will hold a public hearing at 9 am on October 31 on the anti-dumping investigation into certain pork and pig by-products imported from the EU. The hearing will focus on key issues in the preliminary determination of the probe, including dumping practices, damage to China's domestic industry, and the causality between the two. Other matters beyond these topics will not be included in the hearing agenda.

Envoys from the EU, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, and Austria, as well as representatives from meat producers and industry associations in Spain, the Netherlands, and France, and the China Animal Agriculture Association will attend the hearing and deliver statements, along with representatives from other European embassies and Chinese enterprises, will also participate, according to the MOFCOM.

MOFCOM's announcement noted that participants are required to present their views in the prescribed order and bear confidentiality obligations concerning any business secrets involved. During the hearing, if the presiding officer requests participants to provide or supplement evidence related to their statements, they are expected to fully cooperate. The working language of the hearing will be Chinese.

The MOFCOM announced the decision to hold the hearing on October 17. The decision came at the request of a joint application by the European Commission and France's pork industry association, Le Porc Francais (INAPORC), per the MOFCOM notice. It was made in line with China's Anti-Dumping Regulations and the ministry's Rules on Anti-Dumping and Countervailing Duty Hearings, in order to ensure that the investigation process is fair, impartial, and transparent, per the ministry's notice.

China on June 17, 2024 started an anti-dumping investigation into certain pork and pig by-products imported from the EU, in response to an application submitted by the domestic industry. But given the complexity of the case, the investigation, initially scheduled to conclude before June 17 this year, has already been extended to December 16, 2025, according to MOFCOM.

On September 5, the ministry announced the implementation of temporary anti-dumping measures on certain pork and pig by-products originating from the EU, starting September 10, according to a preliminary ruling, citing substantial damage to the related domestic industry.

Spanish media recently reported that Europe's pork industry may ultimately pay the price for problems caused by the automotive sector, with several Spanish pork industry associations and companies urging both sides to resolve the frictions through dialogues to achieve mutual benefits.

Commenting on the reports, a MOFCOM spokesperson said on September 18 that during the investigation, China maintained good communication with relevant EU companies, industry associations, and member state governments, carefully considering input from all parties, and will continue to advance the investigation in line with laws and regulations.

Global Times