China has announced aggressive new “anti-dumping” duties of up to 62.4% on pork imports from the European Union, sharply raising the cost of EU pork in the world’s largest pork market.
The tariffs, set to begin next week, follow Beijing’s preliminary finding that the EU unfairly “dumped” pork on the Chinese market at below-market prices, hurting domestic producers. The anti-dumping investigation, launched in June 2024 after the EU imposed heavy tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, was recently extended through December — making today’s decision a surprise escalation.
The European Commission quickly pushed back, calling China’s allegations “questionable” and promising a formal response.
Impact on Global Pork Trade
The EU is the world’s largest pork exporter, and China remains its top market. From January through July 2025, EU pork shipments to China jumped 10% year-over-year to nearly 690,000 metric tons, accounting for 53% of all Chinese pork imports.
By comparison, the U.S. has faced its own trade turbulence, holding a 14.5% market share with volumes down 14% so far this year after tariff and export authorization disputes in the spring.
Among EU exporters, 90 companies that cooperated with the investigation — including major players in Denmark, Germany, Spain, and the Netherlands — will face lower tariffs ranging from 15.6% to 32.7%. Farmer-owned Danish Crown, one of the EU’s largest pork exporters, will be hit with a 31.3% duty.
The U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) estimates that total tariffs on EU pork will now range from 27.6% to 74.4%, putting them on par with U.S. pork, which currently faces a 57% cumulative tariff.
China’s Domestic Supply Pressures
China’s move comes amid efforts to stabilize its domestic pork sector, including reports this summer of plans to reduce the breeding sow population due to oversupply and depressed prices.
With China taking 31% of EU pork exports through July, today’s announcement could reshape global trade flows — and open new opportunities for U.S. pork if tensions ease.
