French farmers worry pork exports will suffer in EU-China row over customs

An anti-dumping investigation into imports of pork products is at the heart of a trade tug-of-war between Europe and China

Transcript

00:00European pigs have found themselves at the centre of a trade tug-of-war.

00:04Pork is a hugely important market for a lot of European Union nations.

00:09When a Chinese probe into imports of pork from the EU was opened,

00:13it caused concern from farmers who make a significant portion of their money from exports to China.

00:19The Chinese market values parts like the ears, the feet and the whole head.

00:26These are parts that they appreciate, the local gastronomy values them very well,

00:31whereas we don't have these habits of consumption and we prefer to leave them.

00:36Retaliatory measures on pork come as no surprise to international trade experts.

00:41Last week, the European Union slapped additional tariffs of up to 38% on Chinese electric car imports.

00:50The German Vice-Chancellor Robert Habeck is travelling to China as tensions escalate.

00:56China is an enormously important country for Germany and for Europe in every respect.

01:02These relations have become much more complex in the past.

01:07The economic and political conflicts, especially with electric car tariffs,

01:12have become even more complex.

01:16This will certainly have a strong impact on the journey.

01:18China imported billions worth of pork from the EU last year,

01:22with this trade tug-of-war meaning it could be the European agricultural sector on the chopping block.