BEIJING, July 18 (Reuters) - China will conduct an anti-dumping investigation into imports of pork from the European Union using a sampling method, the commerce ministry said on Thursday.

The investigation will involve samples from Danish Crown A/S, Vion Boxtel B.N. And Litera Meat S.L.U, the ministry said in a statement.

Begun on June 17, the investigation will look into pork and its by-products imported from the European Union after the bloc decided to impose anti-subsidy duties on Chinese electric vehicles. (Reporting by Mei Mei Chu)