Belgium: a blow to the entire production chain
Belgian producers have been given the highest tariff rate – 62.4% – while, for example, Spain faces only 15%. According to the association Pork.be, the reason lies in the claim that Belgian exporters allegedly did not cooperate with China’s investigation. However, in 2023 Belgium did not export pork to China at all due to the import ban related to African swine fever (ASF) outbreaks among wild boar dating back to 2018.
Normally, Belgium exports about 15,000 tons of pork and by-products (ears, legs) to China, but the new tariffs could completely halt these shipments. Already the day after the announcement, the Danis reference price dropped by €0.04.
Pork.be chairman Filip Fontaine stressed:
“The new tariffs don’t just hit exporters; they affect the entire chain — from farmers to slaughterhouses and processors. For an open economy like ours, such decisions are extremely harmful.”
The largest farmers’ union, Boerenbond, also warned of the risk of a repeat of the deep crisis triggered by the previous export ban.
France: risk of losses up to €400 million
The French pig industry now faces duties ranging from 20% to 62.4%, depending on the company. Industry association Inaporc stated that this could lead to “dramatic consequences,” similar to what recently happened to the cognac sector, which was hit by Chinese trade measures.
China is France’s leading importer of by-products such as ears and liver. In 2024, France exported 115,000 tons of pork there. According to Inaporc, the losses for the sector could reach between €200 million and €400 million.
EU political response
The European Parliament has already called on the European Commission to bring the case to the World Trade Organization (WTO) to verify whether China’s measures comply with international agreements. Lawmakers argue that agriculture cannot be held hostage to trade wars, especially in the face of existing crises.
Dutch MEP Jessika van Leeuwen urged the creation of a special crisis fund to compensate farmers for their losses:
“The Commission must clearly show that it supports farmers and will not leave them alone in this crisis.”
European context
In 2024, total EU pork exports to China amounted to 1.4 million tons, worth €2 billion. The new tariffs now threaten the entire European market, as surplus meat may exert downward pressure on domestic prices.
Although Belgium and France are among the hardest hit, the consequences of China’s actions will be felt across all EU member states. The industry expects Brussels to propose concrete protection mechanisms for European producers as soon as possible.
PigUA.info based on pigprogress.net