(Yicai) Dec. 27 -- China's Ministry of Commerce has extended its anti-dumping investigation into brandy imported from the European Union until April 5.

Due to the probe's complexity and at the request of the EU, the investigating authority has decided to postpone making the final ruling and hopes all parties will continue to cooperate, commerce ministry spokesperson He Yadong said yesterday.

According to the latest updates, EU brandy producers have submitted an application for price undertakings.

Countries often use anti-dumping measures to protect their domestic industries from unfair competition when foreign businesses sell products below market value. China started an anti-dumping investigation into EU-origin brandy in January.

On Aug. 29, the MOFCOM announced the preliminary results of the probe, noting that China will not implement any anti-dumping actions related to the imports of brandy from the EU, as the margins of dumping were between 30.6 percent and 39 percent.

On Oct. 9, the ministry said that EU brandy producers would be required to pay security deposits ranging from 30.6 percent to 39 percent starting on Oct. 11.

The ministry will levy the deposits based on previously determined dumping margins for each company, Yicai learned at the time. Among major producers, Martell will be required to pay a 30.6 percent deposit, Hennessy 39 percent, and Rémy Martin 38.1 percent.

Imports of EU-made brandy account for 97.5 percent of China's total imports of the product and more than half of the country's overall brandy market, the preliminary results also showed.

Editor: Martin Kadiev