European Commissioner for Agriculture Christophe Hansen has told the European Parliament that the Commission sees no evidence of market disruption from Chinese tomato concentrate imports and will not initiate trade defence proceedings at this stage, in a written answer published on 13 July 2026. The reply, which reassures EU producers of the Commission's commitment to protect them against unfair practices but declines immediate action, impacts EU tomato processors facing price pressure and Chinese exporters who could face future investigations if evidence emerges.
The answer responds to a parliamentary question led by MEP Krzysztof Hetman and 23 other MEPs from across political groups, who warned that China's industrial tomato production reached over 10 million tonnes in 2024 and that EU producers face competitive disadvantage due to weaker standards abroad. The MEPs had asked for immediate market monitoring and readiness to launch anti-dumping, anti-subsidy or safeguard measures.
Hansen's answer contains no concrete proposals or numerical targets, instead offering declarative support for existing tools. He points to the Commission's Processed Tomatoes Trade dashboard and the twice-yearly Tomato Market Observatory, noting that at its latest meeting on 9 June 2026 participants did not raise significant concerns about Chinese imports. Trade data cited by Hansen show EU imports of processed tomato products from China have declined since 2023, with a marked decrease in 2025, despite China's peak production in 2024 followed by a reduction of more than 50% in 2025.
On trade defence, Hansen states that any measure must comply with EU international obligations and that the Commission can act only following a duly substantiated complaint from industry. He adds that safeguard measures are possible if increased imports cause injury, but no such concerns have been identified for processed tomatoes at this stage. Regarding origin labelling, Hansen confirms it is not mandatory for processed tomato products under current EU rules, though operators must provide accurate information and Member State authorities enforce requirements.
The policy orientation is cautious and data-dependent, prioritising existing monitoring mechanisms over new regulatory or trade defence action. Institutional follow-up is likely to involve continued monitoring through the Tomato Market Observatory and the trade dashboard, with the Commission signalling it will act only if industry submits a formal complaint with evidence of injurious dumping or subsidisation.