The EU Commission has presented its proposals for minimum prices on electric vehicles from China amid the ongoing dispute over tariffs.
According to the document released on Monday, prices are to be calculated separately for each vehicle, rather than setting a single minimum price for all cars. The aim is to offset the harmful effects of Chinese subsidies. Additionally, the proposals seek to create incentives to prevent tariffs from being circumvented, for example, by importing hybrid vehicles. Chinese investments within the European Union will also be taken into account.
The Chinese Ministry of Commerce welcomed the EU Commission’s proposals. The progress reflects the spirit of recent discussions between representatives of both sides, the ministry stated. China had recently advocated for a uniform minimum price for electric vehicles.
At the end of 2024, the EU Commission imposed anti-dumping tariffs of up to 35.3 percent on electric cars from China. The intention is to protect the European automotive industry from a flood of cheap EVs from BYD, Geely, or SAIC entering the European market. However, German manufacturers such as Volkswagen and BMW are also importing electric vehicles from China to Europe, including the Cupra Tavascan model and BMW’s electric Mini.
(Reporting by Philip Blenkinsop and Christina Amann, edited by Christian Götz. For inquiries, please contact our editorial team at Berlin.Newsroom@thomsonreuters.com (for politics and economics) or Frankfurt.Newsroom@thomsonreuters.com (for business and markets)
