BEIJING — China's Ministry of Commerce on Thursday expressed major concern over planned protectionist measures by the European Union (EU) in the biodiesel industry, and warned that such measures will backfire.

The EU, the largest biodiesel market globally, imports biodiesel from China to meet its substantial consumption needs, which helps in achieving its green transformation and energy-saving goals, said ministry spokesperson He Yongqian at a regular press conference.

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The remarks came after the European Biodiesel Board announced on July 19 local time that the European Commission, in a pre-disclosure document released the same day, revealed plans to impose provisional anti-dumping duties within the next four weeks ranging from 12.8 to 36.4 percent on biodiesel imports from China.

The EU's imposition of taxes on Chinese biodiesel will only increase product costs, undermine the interests of EU industries and consumers, and hinder the EU's green transition efforts as well as China-EU economic and trade cooperation, she said.

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China advocates for the prudent use of trade remedy measures and urges the EU to avoid wantonly adopting protectionist policies. The country calls for resolving these issues through dialogue and consultation to address legitimate concerns, the spokesperson said.