PEKING (dpa-AFX) - China wants to hear from companies involved in its anti-dumping investigation into brandy imported from the EU. The announcement for a meeting on July 18 came on the day the EU duties against Chinese-made e-cars provisionally came into force. The Ministry of Trade announced that it wanted to discuss the industrial damage and its causes in connection with the corresponding brandy products at the meeting.

The ongoing anti-dumping investigations into brandy and those into pork and by-products from the EU are seen as Beijing's reaction to Brussels' investigations into e-cars from China, for example. Anti-dumping investigations usually involve the accusation that the products under investigation are being offered at artificially lower prices than usual on the respective market.

Beijing has been investigating spirits imported from the EU since January 5 of this year. The measure primarily affects producers from France. According to the Chinese authorities, several producers from there and industry associations had applied for the hearing and were able to explain themselves in it.

According to the Ministry of Commerce, it allowed the hearing in order to ensure fairness, impartiality and transparency in the proceedings. The authority had previously reaffirmed China's willingness to negotiate in the case of the e-car tariffs in order to reach a solution in the remaining four-month window until the measures are finally introduced./jon/DP/stk