EU makes move towards ‘trade war’ with Beijing

Bloc members have given “the necessary support” for steep tariffs on Chinese-made electric cars, the European Commission has said

The European Commission’s decision to impose tariffs on battery electric vehicles (BEVs) from China has received “the necessary support” from EU members, according to a statement on the commission’s website. Critics of the measures have warned the EU against waging a trade war with the Asian powerhouse.

The decision marks “another step” towards the conclusion of the EC’s anti-subsidy investigation into Chinese-made electric cars, which Brussels launched in October 2023, the statement released on Friday said.

The levies range from 7.8% for foreign companies such as Tesla, which manufacture their vehicles in Asian countries, to 35.3% for Chinese firms that reportedly did not cooperate with the investigation. The new tariffs, which are to be enforced for the next five years, come on top of the EU’s standard 10% import duty on cars.

“Today, the European Commission’s proposal to impose definitive countervailing duties on imports of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) from China has obtained the necessary support from EU Member States for the adoption of tariffs,” the commission said.

Ten of the 27 EU member states, including France, Italy, and Poland, supported imposing the tariffs, AFP reported, citing EU diplomats. Five countries, including Germany and Hungary, voted against, while 12 abstained, including Spain and Sweden.

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Brussels has argued that the tariffs are necessary to protect European carmakers from unfair competition, as it claims Chinese car makers benefit from state subsidies.

Germany, the EU’s largest economy and a major car producer, has voiced strong objections to the tariffs.

“[The] Commission should not trigger a trade war [with China]. We need a negotiated solution,” German Finance Minister Christian Lindner said on X (formerly Twitter). 

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban warned before the vote that the EU was headed for an “economic cold war” with China.

The EU added that it was still working with Beijing to look for “an alternative solution.” The new tariffs are expected to come into effect at the end of October.

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The Chinese government said in August that it had filed a complaint with the World Trade Organization over the tariffs, arguing that they violate WTO rules and undermine global cooperation on climate change. Beijing has also already launched investigations into European imports of brandy, dairy, and pork products.