In an effort to slow down Chinese infiltration of the European market with more affordable options, the European Union has hiked tariffs on electric vehicles from China by 35% to 45% from the usual 10%.
According to people familiar with the situation, ten member states voted in support of the new tariff while Germany and four others voted against it. The remaining 12 states reportedly abstained.
Last month, the former European Central Bank President Mario Draghi warned that Chinese state-sponsored competition was a threat to the European Union and could leave the region vulnerable to coercion.
The bloc had claimed that China unfairly subsidized its industry to have an edge over EU businesses, a claim Beijing denies and has threatened retaliatory action on European dairy, brandy, pork and automobile sectors.
However, given the size of trade between the bloc and China, €739 billion or $815 billion in last year, it’s believed the two parties will continue negotiations to find an alternative to the tariffs.
