Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on February 11, 2026
2 min readLast updated: February 11, 2026
Add as preferred source on GoogleChina threatens tariffs on French wine if France advocates EU tariffs on Chinese goods, citing WTO rule violations and potential trade conflict.
BEIJING, Feb 11 (Reuters) - China could launch investigations into French wines or impose "reciprocal tariffs" on EU products if the French government pushes for tariffs on Chinese goods, a social media account affiliated with Chinese broadcaster CCTV, said on Wednesday.
A French government strategy report published on Monday urged the EU to consider an unprecedented 30% across‑the‑board tariff on Chinese goods or a 30% depreciation of the euro against the renminbi to counter a surge of cheap imports.
The social media account Yuyuan Tantian said the report's recommendations targeted only Chinese products and violated World Trade Organization rules.
"It is tantamount to declaring war on China in trade," it said.
NO ACTION YET, SAYS FRANCE
"Today, as you can see, the proposal has not been taken up by the government, which does not mean that it is unfounded," French government spokesperson Maud Bregeon told journalists following Yuyuan Tantian's report.
French trade and finance ministries did not immediately respond to a request to comment.
China last year spared major cognac producers from hefty duties on EU brandy following an anti-dumping investigation that lasted more than a year and was widely viewed as retaliation for EU tariffs on China-made electric vehicles. France voted in favour of the tariffs.
Beijing has frequently said it is willing to engage in dialogue with France and the EU to address trade disputes.
"China has always kept its door open for communication, but is also well-prepared to meet all challenges," Wednesday's Yuyuan Tantian report added.
(Reporting by Shi Bu, Ethan Wang and Ryan Woo; Additional reporting by Thomas Leigh in Paris; Editing by Louise Heavens and Barbara Lewis)
Reciprocal tariffs are tariffs imposed by one country in response to tariffs imposed by another country, often as a form of trade retaliation.
A trade war occurs when countries impose tariffs or other trade barriers on each other in response to trade disputes, leading to escalating tensions.
Tariffs can decrease exports by making goods more expensive for foreign buyers, potentially leading to reduced sales and revenue for domestic producers.
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