On November 24, 2024, the European Commission formally requested consultations at the World Trade Organization (WTO) over China's provisional anti-dumping measures on imports of EU brandy. According to the European Commission, China's measures do not comply with WTO rules, considered that China did not demonstrated a threat of injury to its brandy industry or a causal link between the alleged threat and EU imports. The European Union objects that China initiated the case with insufficient evidence, violating WTO standards. We quote a part of EC release: “The EU is concerned that the measures at issue are unfounded and retaliatory in nature. China imposed these measures right after the EU Member States’ vote in favor of definitive measures in the context of the EU anti-subsidy investigation into battery electric vehicles (“BEV”) from China, while the verification visits of the EU sampled companies in the context of China’s anti-dumping investigation on brandy were ongoing. It appears that China makes a link between the measures at issue and the EU’s investigation on BEV. Moreover, China’s anti-dumping investigation on brandy is one of three trade defense investigations initiated by the Chinese authorities in 2024 against EU products within few months since the EU initiated the anti-subsidy investigation on BEV. The EU is concerned that a pattern of abuse of trade defense measures is emerging. It is in those specific circumstances that the EU has decided to act with respect to the provisional measures on brandy, which disrupt the normal trade flows of brandy from the EU to China in an unlawful manner”. After the request, China has 10 days to respond and arrange consultations. If the matter remained unresolved, a WTO panel may be convened to adjudicate the question.