According to AFR, China has given Australia’s top wine exporters until Friday to answer preliminary questions related to its anti-dumping investigation in a move some investors fear will enable Beijing to slap tariffs on $1.2 billion of exports within months.

China’s Ministry of Commerce wrote to 31 major winemakers, including Treasury Wine Estates and Accolade Wines, on September 15 to issue them with an “interim sampling” questionnaire about their operations. They were given 10 days to respond.

While the unexpected move rattled investors worried it was a sign Beijing wanted a swift conclusion to the investigation, the wine industry and the federal government see the move as procedural and an indication the Chinese government was following due process.

Still, there are serious concerns China could slap tariffs on Australian wine as early as next month given the frosty relations between Beijing and Canberra.

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