With the European Commission poised to slap tariffs on imports of Chinese electric vehicles, the BNIC — whose members employ 70,000 people and account for nearly €4 billion in export sales — fears that this move will escalate simmering trade tensions with Beijing.
In response to the investigation into state subsidies for Chinese EVs, which Paris supported, Beijing hit back in January with its own probe into European wine-based liquors. The move clearly targeted the French luxury cognac brands that make up 99 percent of China’s imports of those liquors.
During a visit to France earlier this month, Chinese President Xi Jinping committed not to impose duties — at least not until the probe launched by Beijing is finally concluded. Claiming a win, his host President Emmanuel Macron gifted Xi several bottles of France’s finest cognacs as a peace offering.
“Unfortunately, we aren’t at all reassured by the statements made after the meeting between the two presidents. Not at all,” Delpech added.
“Our fear is that the investigation will now be closed for political reasons, without our demonstration having been completed, and that definitive duties will be applied to us.”
China is the second biggest export market for the French cognac sector, after the United States, with 61.5 million bottles sold there in 2023, according to figures provided by the BNIC.
