China is calling for the European Union to reverse its decision to impose provisional tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles (EVs) following an agreement to engage in new discussions, as per Global Times reported by CNBC.
The country’s commerce minister, Wang Wentao, and Valdis Dombrovskis, the executive vice president of the European Commission, have agreed to initiate talks regarding the EU’s anti-subsidy investigation into Chinese EVs, as per Beijing’s statement.
China is seeking the European Commission to retract its tariff ruling by July 4 and adhere to World Trade Organization regulations, with observers quoted by Global Times emphasizing this desired outcome.
If no resolution is reached during the discussions with Chinese authorities, the EU’s provisional duties of up to 38.1% on Chinese EV imports are slated to come into effect by the specified date, in addition to the existing 10% duty on imported EVs.
Observers cited in the report highlighted that rescinding the tariffs on Chinese EVs would be mutually beneficial, given the substantial economic and trade partnership between China and the EU. Failure to resolve the situation could lead to retaliatory measures from China, potentially resulting in losses for both sides.
China has strongly opposed the imposition of tariffs, characterizing the move as “blatant protectionism” and possibly breaching WTO regulations, as indicated by the country’s commerce ministry in a statement on June 14. Moreover, Chinese officials have criticized the EU’s investigation into Chinese EVs as selective and lacking credibility.
