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Parliamentary question - P-006726/2013Parliamentary question
P-006726/2013

China's announcement of restrictions on imports of European wine

Question for written answer P-006726-13
to the Commission
Rule 117
María Auxiliadora Correa Zamora (PPE)

On Tuesday, 4 June 2013 the Commission imposed a temporary duty of 11.8% on imports of solar panels from China as a penalty for its alleged unfair trade practices in this area.

In a tit-for-tat response, China has threatened to impose restrictions on wine imports from the European Union. China is currently one of the fastest growing markets for Spanish exports, and the application of such a measure could cause serious damage to the sectors concerned. In the specific case of wine, the global rise in European exports is more than making up for the fact that European consumption has been falling year by year, and this has helped revitalise the wine market. Care therefore needs to be taken to avoid losing a key expanding market such as the Chinese market.

Will the Commission take any diplomatic initiatives vis-à-vis the Chinese Government to avoid a trade dispute and dissuade China from imposing restrictions on European exports? If China carries out its threat, what type of action could the Commission take in the World Trade Organisation?

OJ C 48 E, 20/02/2014