The EU Commission is getting support to impose tariffs of up to 45% on electric vehicles in China

The European Commission has received enough support from EU member states to impose tariffs as high as 45% on electric vehicle imports from China, the EU’s executive arm said on Friday, as fears of an EU-China trade war grew. intensifies.

On Friday, the Commission’s proposal to impose definitive duties on imports of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) from China “has obtained the necessary support from EU member states to adopt the tariffs”, the European Commission said.

“In parallel, the EU and China continue to work hard to explore an alternative solution that should be fully WTO compatible, appropriate to address the harmful subsidization identified by the Commission’s investigation, monitored and enforceable,” the Commission added.

According to Bloomberg sources, a number of EU member states abstained from the vote.

Germany and Spain have recently expressed opposition to the tariffs, fearing an all-out trade war with China, with potential Chinese retaliatory tariffs on EU cars, pork, dairy and brandy.

The current fees, effective from July 5, are provisional and for a maximum period of four months.

The provisional tariffs have led to a backlash in China, which is continuing anti-dumping investigations into EU imports targeting brandy and pork imports from the bloc, likely targeting Spain, France, the Netherlands and Denmark.

German carmakers, which have a large market in China, have also opposed import taxes on electric vehicles.

“European anti-subsidy tariffs would not only affect Chinese manufacturers, but also European companies and especially their joint ventures,” said VDA, Germany’s carmakers’ association.

After today’s vote, Oliver Zipse, chief executive of German car giant BMW, said: “Today’s vote is a fatal signal for the European car industry. A quick deal between the EU Commission and China is now needed to prevent a no-win trade conflict.”

By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com

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