China-Built EVs Hit With Duties In Biggest EU Trade Case Yet

The European Union will impose tariffs of up to 37.6% from Friday on imports of electric vehicles (EVs) made in China, EU officials said, ratcheting up tensions with Beijing in Brussels' largest trade case yet, Philip Blenkinsop and Charlotte Campenhout reported for Reuters.

The European Commission's provisional duties of between 17.4% and 37.6%, without backdating, are designed to prevent a threatened flood of cheap EVs built with state subsidies. I Photo: BYD Thailand

There is, however, a four-month window during which the tariffs are provisional, and intensive talks are expected to continue between the two sides as Beijing threatens wide-ranging retaliation.

The European Commission's provisional duties of between 17.4% and 37.6%, without backdating, are designed to prevent what its president Ursula von der Leyen has said is a threatened flood of cheap EVs built with state subsidies.

The rates, laid out in a 208-page document, are almost the same as those announced by the Commission on June 12. The executive made adjustments after companies identified minor calculation errors in the initial disclosure.

Beijing said then it would take "all necessary measures" to safeguard China's interests.

These could include retaliatory tariffs on exports to China of products such as cognac or pork, Victoria Waldersee, Zhang Yan, Giulio Piovaccari, Gilles Guillaume, and Richard Lough also reported for Reuters.