China urges EU to avoid protectionist measures in biodiesel trade

China expressed deep concern over the European Union's protectionist stance within the biodiesel industry and urged the bloc to refrain from the hasty adoption of trade protectionist measures, the Ministry of Commerce said on Thursday.

The European Commission, the executive arm of the EU, announced on July 19th the preliminary findings of an anti-dumping investigation into Chinese biodiesel, proposing a provisional duty on biodiesel imports from China.

As the world's largest consumer of biodiesel, the EU relies on imports from China to meet its substantial market demand, accelerating its own green transition and energy efficiency goals, He Yongqian, a spokeswoman for the ministry, said at a news conference in Beijing.

The EU's tariff measures will only inflate product costs, harm the interests of relevant industries and consumers in the EU, disrupt the EU's green transformation process, and jeopardize the overall landscape of China-EU economic and trade cooperation, He said.

China always advocates for the prudent and fair use of trade remedies, urging the EU to resolve mutual concerns through dialogue and negotiation.