Italian cheese exports to China have been growing for years and reached a value of over 80 million euros in 2023. In 2024, exports rose by 35 per cent in the first five months. he announcement by China that it is considering tariffs on European dairy products has made Italian producers sit up and take notice. The Italian Minister of Economy, Adolfo Urso, expressed his concern and called for cooperation with the EU in order to find a diplomatic solution. ‘The market must be free, but also fair,’ emphasised Urso.
Organisations such as Coldiretti and the Grana Padano consortium have warned of the possible consequences. Stefano Berni, Director of the Grana Padano Consortium, explained that although China has not been a major customer to date, the market is growing strongly. Pier Maria Saccani from the Mozzarella Consortium sees the situation as ‘a negative signal’ and regrets the ‘instrumental use of quality cheese in political conflicts’. Gianni Maoddi, President of the Pecorino Romano Consortium, also complains that it is always the producers who suffer in such trade disputes.
In 2023, China imported dairy products worth 1.7 billion euros from the EU. Italy ranks sixth among the exporting countries. Should China actually introduce tariffs on European cheese products, this could hit the entire Italian agricultural sector hard, which recorded exports worth 194 million euros to China in the first four months of 2024. This could severely slow down Italian cheese exports and jeopardise a billion-euro market.
Photo: Consorzio Parmigiano Reggiano
