Brussels is expected to inform Chinese carmakers of new duties on electric vehicles only after Sunday’s election.
On the eve of the European election, Beijing is brandishing both carrot and stick in an attempt to stop the EU from imposing duties on electric cars made in China — duties that would be almost certain to trigger a tit-for-tat trade war.
Beijing, which has sent two ministers to tour Europe, claimed it was both “open to holding dialogues” with the European Union while at the same time reminding the bloc that any measures against EVs would represent “a real loss of money” that would damage the EU’s future prosperity.
The European Commission is expected, by the middle of next week, to inform Chinese EV-makers of the duties they would face following its investigation into suspected unfair state subsidies.
This is the best summary I could come up with:
Beijing, which has sent two ministers to tour Europe, claimed it was both “open to holding dialogues” with the European Union while at the same time reminding the bloc that any measures against EVs would represent “a real loss of money” that would damage the EU’s future prosperity.
The European Commission is expected, by the middle of next week, to inform Chinese EV-makers of the duties they would face following its investigation into suspected unfair state subsidies.
Beijing is already threatening to hit European makers of wine-based spirits with duties, in a move that would impose the greatest pain on French cognac-makers.
Olof Gill, a spokesperson for the Commission’s trade department, said the EU had been very open and clear in seeking dialogue with Beijing, listing “a flurry of highest-level missions” to China by von der Leyen and other senior commissioners.
As a result, trade friction has spread beyond cars across a broad industrial front, with Chinese scanning equipment firm Nuctech saying on Tuesday it had taken legal action after the Commission raided business locations in the Netherlands and Poland in a competition probe into foreign subsidies.
“Europe should abandon protectionism,” he added, in a comment that ignored the fact that China has forced foreign carmakers for decades to set up joint ventures to enter its own market.
The original article contains 749 words, the summary contains 218 words. Saved 71%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!