The European Commission will announce on Wednesday that it will impose additional customs duties of up to 25% on imports of Chinese electric vehicles starting next month, the Financial Times reports, citing sources familiar with the matter.
The move follows an investigation opened last October into subsidies granted to Chinese carmakers by Beijing.
As European carmakers electrify their ranges, they are facing an influx of cheaper electric vehicles from their Chinese competitors.
The customs duties are expected to significantly increase the cost of Chinese electric cars sold in Europe, but risk increasing trade tensions with China, which has already threatened retaliation.
Anti-dumping proceedings
On Wednesday, China’s foreign minister warned that he would take measures to “firmly defend” its interests.
The EU’s slapping of additional tariffs on imports of electric vehicles from China violates market economy principles and is “harmful” to European interests, a ministry spokesperson told a news conference.
In January, China launched an anti-dumping procedure on all spirits imported from the EU into the country, a retaliatory measure seen as a response to the EU’s ongoing anti-subsidy investigation into the vehicles.
Beijing has called the procedure “protectionism” and an “excuse” to impose surcharges, said Lin Jian, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman.
This article is originally published on lindependant.fr
