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“We’ll be really pleased when the problem is behind us. And it’s
clear that, step by step, we’re moving towards a resolution,"
Barrot said.
China announced last year provisional tariffs of 30.6% to 39% on
Remy Martin and other European brandies after a majority of
European Union countries approved duties on electric vehicles
made in China.
The brandy tariffs are provisional and require importers to make
a deposit with the Chinese customs agency for the amount of the
tariff. The move followed a preliminary finding by China’s
Commerce Ministry that European brandy was being dumped in
China, threatening “substantial damage” to domestic producers.
“The risk faced by the industry until yesterday was that
definitive application would be made at the end of the
investigation period," Barrot said. "Following this visit, I
received confirmation that the investigation has been postponed
by three months, which rules out the scenario of a sudden
application of definitive duties on this sector.”
According to the sector, China is the largest consumer market
for cognac by value. Experts said the imposition of definitive
duties would affect 70,000 direct and indirect jobs, 270 cognac
houses, and 4,400 winegrowers.
China has opened a series of anti-dumping investigations into
European brandy, pork and dairy products. The brandy probe was
the first and targeted mainly French makers of cognac and
similar spirits such as Armagnac.
Barrot said the investigation will be closed after three months,
and that the Chinese authorities will make decisions based on
the results.
“Everyone will continue to work together to put this dispute
behind us so that we can move forward on a sound basis,” he
said.
French President Emmanuel Macron presented Chinese leader Xi
Jinping with two bottles of cognac when the two exchanged gifts
during Xi’s state visit to France last year.
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