Chinese taxes on cognac: the last chance trip of the Minister of Foreign Trade

“France does not want to enter into a totally sterile confrontation with China”

The cognac inter-profession considers itself “sacrificed” by the French government, which firmly supported the imposition by the EU of additional customs duties on electric cars imported from China – definitively confirmed this week by Brussels. In response to this measure, which it considers protectionist, China is threatening to overtax European brandies, of which cognac represents 95%. Since mid-October, it has already required importers to deposit a deposit with Chinese customs. China alone represents 25% of cognac exports.

Sophie Primas will notably attend the China International Import Fair (CIIE) in Shanghai, a major annual economic event in China. France will have the status of guest of honor at this fair and will have a total of around 130 companies present. Paris, however, wishes to adopt a balanced tone during this ministerial visit. France does not want to have “simply an offensive positioning” and “enter into a totally sterile confrontation with China”, indicates the diplomatic source. “We must not forget that we have a huge number of French companies which depend on the Chinese market […] There is no question of us not highlighting them, not listening to them,” we emphasize.