A few days ago, the European Union announced the news and launched anti-dumping investigations on Chinese made candles and prestressed steel strands. The case involved thousands of enterprises, involving $360 million and $240 million respectively.

Since the second half of last year, the European Union has once again launched a wave of anti-dumping against China. It has launched 9 anti-dumping investigations against China, involving many sensitive products, involving up to US $3 billion, which has adversely affected the normal production and operation of thousands of Chinese enterprises.

In response to the anti-dumping investigation launched by the European Union, the Ministry of Commerce expressed the hope that the European Union could conduct a careful investigation.

The Ministry of Commerce pointed out that this will have a negative impact on the production and operation, international trade and investment confidence of the enterprises involved. Even the links of warehousing, pportation and insurance in the industrial chain will be jointly and severally affected.

In response, the Ministry of Commerce said it would encourage enterprises to actively respond to complaints and provide the necessary public services.

After the trade friction between China and Europe in 2005 and 2006, the EU decided in October last year to impose a 1 year anti-dumping duty on China's energy-saving lamps. In December last year and early February this year, it launched anti-dumping investigations on several types of Chinese steel products.

In addition, the EU is considering anti-dumping complaints against Chinese wire rods.

Because of the Sixth Expansion of the EU in the first half of last year, trade disputes such as anti-dumping were postponed until the second half of the year.

It is precisely because of the EU expansion, purchasing power continued to strengthen, the U.S. economic downturn and other factors, last year, the EU first overtook the United States to become China's largest export target.

The EU is China's largest trading partner, and also the most WTO member to launch anti-dumping investigations against China.

With the expansion of the European Union, as a Commonwealth of nations, the EU's decisions on any issue are restricted by every member state.

That is to say, an anti-dumping complaint filed against a Chinese commodity by one or a few member countries often leads the EU to take anti-dumping measures against China as a whole.

Against this background, experts believe that the future trade frictions between China and Europe are complex and not optimistic.