China Vows to Continue Fighting Against EU EV Tariffs

The EU’s ongoing countervailing duty probe into Chinese electric vehicles (see 2408200020) has brought the two sides’ industries to a “crossroads,” and Beijing will continue to lobby against the tariffs through negotiations “until the very end,” China’s Commerce Minister Wang Wentao said this week.

Wang, speaking Sept. 18 during a meeting of nearly 30 Chinese and European EV industry officials in Europe, said there are “widespread doubts” about the “rationality, compliance and fairness” of the EU probe. “This move by the EU will not only hinder China-EU automotive industry cooperation and undermine the confidence of Chinese companies to invest in Europe, but will also seriously affect global cooperation in addressing climate change and will seriously damage the multilateral trading order based on WTO rules,” Wang said, according to an unofficial translation of a Chinese readout of the meeting.

Wang also said China opposes “decoupling” the two EV industries. “EU companies are not afraid of competition, do not need tariff protection, oppose trade protectionism, support free trade, market opening and fair competition, and call on China-EU automotive industry chain companies to seize the opportunity to deepen cooperation,” the readout said.

China arranged the meeting as Beijing reportedly works with German officials to gather other EU states to oppose the tariffs during an EU vote planned for Sept. 25 (see 2409170048)

During a meeting Sept. 18 with Wolfgang Schmidt, Germany’s federal minister for special affairs, Wang said Beijing is “deeply disappointed” by the EU tariffs, “but will not give up its efforts and will insist on carrying out negotiations to the last minute,” according to an unofficial translation. “It is hoped that Germany, as a core member of the EU, will take the lead and play an active role in pushing the European Commission to show political will and work with China to properly resolve the case.”

Schmidt said Germany “strongly hopes that the EU and China will properly resolve the electric vehicle case through dialogue and consultation,” according to China’s readout of the meeting. Schmidt said Germany “always believes that imposing additional tariffs is not the solution, and has communicated with the European Commission on this issue many times.”