The Chinese government on Tuesday announced it will be placing an anti-dumping tax on Brandy produced in the European Union that is imported into China.

Chinese drinkers may pay more for Remy Martin and other European brandies after the government announced provisional tariffs of 30.6% to 39% on Tuesday.

IG Metall, the powerful German labour union, and employee representatives of the nation's major carmakers said in a statement on Thursday that Germany should vote against the introduction of European Union tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles.

The move came days after the European Union pressed ahead in adopting definitive tariffs of up to 45% on China-made battery electric vehicles last Friday.

European Union member countries agreed Friday to proceed with the imposition of tarrifs on Chinese electric vehicles exactly one year after launching a probe into whether Beijing was subsidizing its domestic EV industry.

The European Commission, which had provisionally approved the tariffs in June, can now impose them for five years starting end of the October.

China is investigating whether to raise tariffs on European large-engine vehicles and will start collecting levies on brandy, escalating a trade spat after the European Union decided to impose tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles.

China announced on Tuesday that it had imposed provisional tariffs on European brandy, after the bloc recently approved new tariffs on the import of electric cars from China. The Ministry of Commerce in Beijing said importers of certain brandy varieties will be required to deposit an unspecified amount with Chinese customs starting this Friday.

China imposed temporary anti-dumping measures on brandy imports from the European Union on Tuesday, hitting brands from Hennessy to Remy Martin, after the 27-state bloc voted for tariffs on Chinese-made electric vehicles (EVs).