EU launches WTO dispute over China's 'brandy anti-dumping'

The European Union has launched the World Trade Organization and WTO dispute settlement process, saying China's temporary anti-dumping measures of European brandy are unfair.

In a press release, the European Commission said it had made a "consultation request" to China, which is the first step in the WTO dispute settlement process and a pre-formal filing.

The EU has argued that China's temporary anti-dumping measures are not in line with WTO rules and that it has failed to prove that European products cause damage to its brandy industry.

It also noted that China has issued temporary anti-dumping measures since the EU decided to impose tariffs of up to 45.3% on Chinese electric vehicles.

In response, the head of the Treaty Legal Bureau of the Ministry of Commerce said in a statement that he would like to reiterate that China, as a member of the WTO, has consistently taken prudent and restrained trade remedies and defended fair and free trade.

He then argued that the temporary anti-dumping measures were legitimate measures taken in accordance with Chinese law and applications from domestic industries and fully conformed to WTO rules.