This episode contains segments on:
- China’s measures in response to the US tariffs on imports from China;
- European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen holds phone call with Chinese Premier Li Qiang; and
- China extends anti-dumping probe into EU brandy
Listeners are also invited to attend the launch of the Chamber’s latest report Made in China 2025: The Cost of Technological Leadership on 16th April.
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Read more:
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen holds phone call with Chinese Premier Li Qiang
https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/read_25_1004
https://english.www.gov.cn/news/202504/08/content_WS67f52de2c6d0868f4e8f1818.html
China extends anti-dumping probe into EU brandy
https://trb.mofcom.gov.cn/myjjdc/art/2025/art_bfabd6319b25440b80eee1dff3545df2.html
European Chamber event: Made in China 2025 Report Launch
Transcript:
XINHE: Hello and welcome to China ShortCuts,
MARIANN: the European Chamber’s weekly catchup on China’s business landscape.
XINHE: This episode was recorded on 9th April 2025.
(MUSIC)
XINHE: On 4th April, China announced a series of measures in response to US President Donald Trump’s announcement of the latest round of tariffs on imports from China. The measures include tariffs of equal rate to those originally imposed by the US side, as well as export and import restrictions and investigations. Following China’s announcement of counter tariffs, Trump threatened to slap an additional 50 per cent tariff on all imports from the country if China does not revoke its reciprocal measures.
MARIANN: Starting from 10th April, China will impose a 34 per cent tariff on US imports. Meanwhile, China has also restricted the exports of seven types of rare earths and imposed export controls of dual-use items on 16 US firms. Additionally, it has halted imports of poultry products and sorghum from select US companies; launched an anti-dumping probe into imports of medical CT tubes from the US and India; and instigated an anti-monopoly investigation into the China subsidiary of the US chemical giant DuPont. It also added 11 more US companies to its unreliable entity list and filed a lawsuit with the World Trade Organization over the new US tariffs.
The moves follow President Trump’s announcement on 2nd April of tariffs covering 185 countries and regions, including 34 per cent levies on Chinese and the 20 per cent tariff on EU imports – both of which Trump has claimed are ‘reciprocal’. However, as the Chinese countermeasures were not revoked, on 9th April the US side announced that it would proceed with the imposition of the additional 50 per cent tariffs, raising the overall tariffs on Chinese imports to 104 per cent.
(MUSIC)
XINHE: On 8th April, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen held a phone call with Chinese Premier Li Qiang to discuss issues relevant to the bilateral relationship.
MARIANN: According to the Commission’s readout of the phone call, the two sides spoke on the recently announced US tariffs. President von der Leyen highlighted the global economy’s need for stability and predictability and stated that the EU and China have a responsibility to support free and fair trade, with China having a critical role in tackling trade diversions in sectors already affected by global overcapacity. In this regard, the two leaders talked about establishing a mechanism for monitoring potential trade diversions to make sure that these can be adequately addressed.
Additionally, President von der Leyen emphasised the need for structural solutions to rebalance trade and boost European access to the Chinese market.
XINHE: According to the readout from the Chinese side, Premier Li highlighted that protectionism is a dead-end as no country can thrive in isolation. He pledged that China will continue to expand its opening-up and strengthen its cooperation with EU member states as well as other markets around the world.
Both leaders noted that this year marks the 50th anniversary of EU-China diplomatic ties.
(MUSIC)
XINHE: On 2nd April, China’s Ministry of Commerce announced that it will extend its anti-dumping probe into EU brandy by another three months.
MARIANN: The investigation was originally launched on 5th January 2024, with provisional findings that were issued in August concluding that EU brandy is being sold in China below market prices. In October, China imposed temporary anti-dumping measures on brandy imported from the EU by setting deposit margins between 30.6 and 39 per cent. For now, importers of EU brandy need to verify that they have the required amount to cover this additional cost if tariffs are to be levied once the investigation concludes. The latest extension marks the second time the end of the probe has been postponed. In a brief statement, the Ministry attributed the decision to extend the timeline of the investigation to the complexity of the case.
(MUSIC)
XINHE: The Made in China 2025 initiative, announced in 2015, was the latest iteration in a long line of Chinese industrial policies that targeted specific sectors for growth. What set it apart were the sectoral market share targets that were laid down, as well as the overarching goal of achieving 70 per cent domestic market share for “core basic components and key basic materials” by 2025.
MARIANN: The European Chamber conducted interviews with its members and gathered data through its annual Business Confidence Survey, as well as through extensive research, to provide a snapshot of China’s progress on the Made in China 2025 targets and explore how the plan has impacted European companies in China over the past 10 years.
XINHE: Join us online or in person in Beijing for the launch of the Chamber’s latest report Made in China 2025: The Cost of Technological Leadership, during which Chamber President Jens Eskelund will introduce the report’s key findings and their relevance to European businesses operating in China.
(MUSIC)
MARIANN: Thanks for listening, and don’t forget to tune in again next week.
XINHE: In the meantime, please find useful links in the episode notes.