China’s Ministry of Commerce said it has prolonged its anti-subsidy investigation into certain dairy imports from the European Union by six months, pushing the deadline to 21 February 2026. The inquiry, which began in August 2024, covers a range of EU cheese, milk and cream products and was extended because of what Beijing described as the case’s complexity. The decision keeps trade friction between Beijing and Brussels in the spotlight. The dairy probe is one of several Chinese investigations launched after the European Commission opened an anti-subsidy case into Chinese-made electric vehicles in 2023. China has since also scrutinised EU pork and brandy, moves widely viewed as leverage in the wider dispute. European industry groups said the extension was expected, with additional technical inspections by Chinese officials scheduled for early September. The EU dairy sector, including French producers that ship roughly €650 million of goods to China each year, is bracing for the outcome amid uncertainty over whether the two sides can reach a broader settlement on tariffs and subsidies.