The "duty deposits", which range from 21.9 percent to 42.7 percent, come into effect on Tuesday.

They hit a range of items including fresh and processed cheese, curd, blue cheese and some milk and cream, the commerce ministry in Beijing said in a statement.

Officials launched an anti-subsidy probe in August 2024 after receiving a request from the Dairy Association of China. The probe will conclude in February.

China's commerce ministry said Monday that preliminary findings showed a link between EU subsidies and "substantial damage" to its domestic dairy industry.

The fees on EU dairy come a week after Beijing said it would impose anti-dumping levies on EU pork imports for five years.

Those duties kicked in on December 17 and range from 4.9 percent to 19.8 percent -- down from temporary levies of 15.6 to 62.4 percent that had been in place since September.