China signs pork trade protocols with Spain as tensions with U.S. escalate
Beijing has agreed to import pork and cherries from Spain amid ongoing global tariff disputes. The deal includes pork products previously excluded from export list, such as pork stomachs.
CHINA – China has entered new trade agreements with European partners, with two fresh agricultural protocols signed with Spain covering pork and cherries.
The announcement was made in Beijing by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, just days after the United States increased tariffs on Chinese imports to 145 percent.
In response, China raised its own tariffs on U.S. products to 125 percent, escalating a trade conflict that is now reshaping global commodity flows.
Spanish industry stakeholders, including the National Association of Spanish Meat Industries (ANICE), have responded positively to the move, calling it a timely development amid ongoing disruptions in global trade.
Daniel de Miguel, international manager at Interporc, said the agreement marks the first time pork stomachs—a product commonly consumed in China but previously excluded from trade—will be permitted for export.
The development is being interpreted by analysts as a possible sign that China may reconsider or ease its anti-dumping probe into pork imports from the European Union.
That investigation, launched in 2023 as retaliation against EU tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, has threatened to affect major pork-exporting nations like Spain, Denmark, and the Netherlands.
Much of the pork the EU exports to China consists of parts such as pig ears, noses, and feet—cuts with limited demand in Europe but strong consumer interest in China.
According to Even Rogers Pay, an agriculture analyst at Trivium China, the new agreement could signal regulatory flexibility from Beijing, similar to its recent decision to delay a ruling on the EU brandy probe.
EU-China trade ties in focus
Beijing recently extended the brandy investigation by three months and is also negotiating pricing frameworks with the EU for Chinese electric vehicle exports.
These moves reflect China’s ongoing efforts to manage its trade disputes while maintaining access to major global markets.
Meanwhile, the European Union has paused retaliatory tariffs worth around US$23.85 billion (€21 billion) on American goods, following Washington’s decision to temporarily suspend additional duties for some countries.
Despite this pause, EU officials are still evaluating their response to remaining U.S. tariffs, including a 10 percent levy on various products and car imports.
In 2024, China imported about US$4.8 billion worth of pork products, including offal, with over half coming from EU member states—Spain being the top exporter by volume.
China’s anti-dumping investigation into EU pork is expected to conclude by June 17, though it could be extended depending on further developments.
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