The Ministry of Commerce Photo: VCG

The Chinese Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) said on Thursday that EU brandy exporters have submitted price commitment applications and given the complexity of the case, at the request of the European side, the investigating authorities have decided to postpone the final ruling on the anti-dumping probe into brandy imported from the EU.

The remarks are made in response to a question about the MOFCOM's decision on Wednesday to extend investigation period for anti-dumping probe into brandy imported from the EU until April 5, 2025.

Currently, EU exporters have submitted price commitment applications, and the domestic brandy industry is requesting legal protection. Given the complexity of the case, at the request of the European side, the investigating authorities have decided to postpone the final ruling and hope that all parties involved will continue to cooperate with the investigation, a spokesperson of the MOFCOM said.

The investigation, initiated in January 2024 following a request from the domestic brandy industry has been conducted in accordance with Chinese laws and WTO rules, with a preliminary ruling issued in August 2024, the spokesperson said.

The MOFCOM said on August 29 that a preliminary assessment showed that the imported brandy from the EU involves dumping, and the domestic brandy industry is under substantial threat of damage, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

The ministry said there is a causal relationship between the dumping and the substantial threat of damage, according to Xinhua.

Since October 11, China has imposed temporary anti-dumping measures on brandy originating from the EU. Importers of brandy originating from the EU must place deposits with Chinese customs based on dumping margins of between 30.6 percent and 39 percent, according to Xinhua.