China has opened an anti-subsidy investigation into imported dairy products from the European Union, a step that appears mainly aimed at Ireland and in response to the bloc's curbs on its electric vehicle exports.
The investigation announced by China's commerce ministry on Wednesday will focus on various types of cheeses, milks and creams intended for human consumption.
The probe began on August 21.
It was prompted by a complaint submitted by the Dairy Association of China and the China Dairy Industry Association on July 29 on behalf of the domestic dairy industry, the ministry said.
China will examine 20 subsidy schemes from across the 27-strong bloc, specifically those from Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Finland, Italy, Ireland, and Romania, it said in a statement.
Of the countries listed, Ireland is by far the biggest exporter of dairy products to China, having sold $461 million worth of goods to the Asian nation last year.
The EU on Tuesday revised its proposed punitive duties on imports of Chinese-made electric vehicles, but fell short of abandoning them, as Beijing had called on Brussels to do.
