The Commerce Ministry announced on Friday that it will hold an anti-dumping hearing on brandy imported from the European Union on July 18.

The hearing will be about "industrial damage, cause and effect, and public interest in the anti-dumping probe of related brandy products", Xinhua News Agency quoted an online statement by the ministry as saying.

The hearing aims to ensure that the investigation procedure is fair, just and transparent, said the statement.

China's anti-dumping probe into EU brandy products would look at EU-produced brandy in containers holding less than 200 litres imported from October 1, 2022 to September 30, 2023, the ministry has said.

It would also investigate any damage done to the Chinese brandy industry from January 1, 2019 to September 30, 2023.

The probe is expected to end before January 5, 2025, but may be extended for half a year under special circumstances.

The announcement by the Commerce Ministry comes as the European Commission's provisional tariffs on Chinese-made electric vehicles (EVs) took effect.

Beijing has repeatedly called on the EU to cancel its EV tariffs, expressing a willingness to negotiate. It has said it does not want to be embroiled in another tariff war, but that it would take all steps to protect Chinese firms.

China has also opened investigations into European pork imports. (Xinhua/Reuters)