The European Union's recent wave of trade defence actions against China continued today with a new measure targeting amino acids. This action, under the same regulation used for yesterday's measures on pet food, reinforces a pattern of sustained pressure on Chinese imports. Today's update also loaded new zero-duty tariff quotas for certain Ukrainian steel products. Separately, a large set of previously scheduled updates to the entry price system for various fruits and vegetables took effect today.
Headline items
Today's update included a new trade defence measure on amino-acids from China (HS 2922410000), effective 30 July. The action falls under Regulation R1824/26, the same legal act cited in yesterday's measures targeting prepared animal fodder, suggesting an expansion of scope for that regulation.
Regulators also loaded new zero-duty tariff quotas for certain stainless steel pipes and tubes originating from Ukraine (HS codes including 7306611000 and 7306619200). These measures, effective 30 July, were introduced under Regulation R1457/26, which was also used this week to establish quotas for similar goods from other origins.
Coming into force
The most significant activity today was the activation of numerous pre-scheduled measures updating the EU's entry price system. The changes, implemented under Regulation R2447/15, affect a wide range of fresh fruits and vegetables from all origins, including onions, garlic, beans, sweet peppers, avocados, oranges, and grapefruit. These routine updates adjust the standard import values used for customs calculations across more than a dozen commodity lines.
What to watch
Today's measure against Chinese amino acids is the latest in a rapid-fire series of trade defence actions enacted by the EU over the past week. This campaign has now targeted Chinese fasteners, plastics, chemicals, textiles, and prepared animal fodder. The sustained and broad-based nature of these actions signals a concerted effort to protect domestic industries across multiple sectors. Importers should also remain aware of the future duties on ferro-silicon from China and Russia, which, as noted previously, are scheduled to take effect on 18 August.