French cognac makers have hit back at claims by China that they are dumping brandy in the Chinese market, saying the price discounts alleged are unusually small for such a formal investigation. That "raises the question of the real purpose of the process", the Bureau National Interprofessionnel du Cognac (BNIC), which represents French cognac makers, said in a statement to Reuters. Last week China opened an anti-dumping investigation on brandy imported from the European Union, a step that appears to be mainly targeted at France and adds to ongoing trade disputes between Beijing and Brussels.