Chinese State Media Signals Possible Anti-Dumping Probe Into EU Wine

A Chinese state media-affiliated social media account has suggested that Beijing could launch anti-dumping and anti-subsidy investigations into European Union wines, particularly those from France, in response to a French advisory body’s proposal that the EU impose a blanket 30% tariff on Chinese goods.

In a Weibo post titled “France Should Not Get Drunk on Its Own Wine”, the account Yuyuan Tantian (玉渊谭天) said China could consider opening trade investigations into EU wine if France moves to advance what it described as a “trade war-style” tariff proposal.

The comments were framed as a response to a strategic report submitted to the French government recommending that the European Union adopt “unconventional measures” to address low-priced imports from China. Among the proposals outlined in the report were a uniform 30% tariff on Chinese goods or a 30% depreciation of the euro against the renminbi.

The report was drafted by the Haut-Commissariat à la Stratégie et au Plan, a French government advisory body that reports directly to the prime minister and provides strategic recommendations on medium- to long-term public policy. The proposal remains at the research stage and does not represent official policy of either France or the European Union.

In its Weibo post, Yuyuan Tantian argued that targeting Chinese goods with a blanket 30% tariff would violate World Trade Organization rules and amount to a declaration of trade hostilities. Citing unnamed sources, the account said China could respond in at least three ways, with the first option being the launch of anti-dumping and anti-subsidy investigations into EU wines — especially those from France.

China is a key export destination for European wine. In 2024, EU wine exports to China were valued at nearly US$700 million, with French producers accounting for almost half of that total.

The account also warned that if the EU were to impose unilateral tariff increases on Chinese goods, China would respond firmly, potentially through “reciprocal tariffs” on EU products. “China has always kept the door open for dialogue,” the post said, “but it is fully prepared to respond to any challenges.”

Yuyuan Tantian is a new media column launched by China Media Group (CMG), the country’s state broadcaster. It frequently addresses issues framed as national core interests and plays a visible role in shaping public messaging on external economic disputes.

This is not the first time the account has referenced wine amid China–EU trade tensions. In May 2024, following EU anti-subsidy investigations into Chinese companies, Yuyuan Tantian noted that European agriculture also benefits from substantial subsidies and pointed out that the EU relies heavily on the Chinese market for agricultural exports, including wine and dairy products.

It later also correctly predicted the timeline of China’s anti-dumping tariffs on EU brandy, as we have reported. 

According to China Customs data, four EU countries — France, Italy, Spain and Germany — ranked among China’s top ten wine import sources in 2025. French wine imports were valued at $420 million, accounting for 29.6% of China’s total wine import value that year.

China has previously used anti-dumping and anti-subsidy measures in trade disputes involving wine. In 2021, Beijing launched investigations into Australian wine and imposed punitive tariffs ranging from 116.2% to 218.4% for more than three years. The measures effectively removed Australian wine from the Chinese market between 2021 and March 2024.

At present, there is no indication that Chinese authorities have formally initiated anti-dumping or anti-subsidy investigations into EU wine. Nor have France or the EU adopted the proposed 30% tariff policy.

In that context, the recent remarks appear to function more as a policy signal than a concrete trade action, underscoring how wine — long a high-profile import category — remains entangled in broader geopolitical tensions between China and Europe.