The European Fee is contemplating imposing punitive tariffs to guard European Union automakers towards cheaper Chinese language electrical automobile imports, which the company says advantages from state subsidies.
“World markets are actually flooded with cheaper electrical automobiles,” mentioned European Fee President Ursula von der Leyen throughout her annual handle to the EU’s parliament. “And their value is stored artificially low by enormous state subsidies.”
The present commonplace EU charge for automobiles is 10%. The Fee will resolve over the following 13 months whether or not to impose tariffs above that commonplace, which might spark a commerce battle with China.
The anti-subsidy investigation additionally contains non-Chinese language manufacturers which might be made in China, like Tesla, Renault and BMW.
The investigation into the “flood” of Chinese language EV firms into Europe comes only a week after the IAA Mobility 2023 convention in Munich. Chinese language EV firms — from heavyweights like BYD to startups like XPeng — did certainly are available droves to the occasion, doubling their numbers from final yr. The convention organizers mentioned about 41% of presenters got here from Asia.
On the occasion, European automakers hastened to point out off lower-cost, high-tech EVs in an try to sustain with their Asian counterparts.
Whereas Chinese language automakers don’t but have a lot market share in Europe, that would simply change as they make the push past China’s borders. Chinese language EV makers are feeling the urgency to broaden abroad, as shopper demand at residence weakens amid an financial slowdown and Tesla’s aggressive value cuts enhance home competitors.
China’s auto exports grew 31% in August, in response to China Passenger Automotive Affiliation knowledge. China’s share of EVs bought within the EU — that are on common about 20% cheaper than EU-made fashions — has risen to eight% and will hit 15% in 2025, mentioned the European Fee.
That projection is backed up by latest bulletins.
XPeng mentioned at IAA that it will carry its premium SUV, the G6, to Europe subsequent yr to hitch different fashions it’s already promoting in Norway, Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands. On the occasion, BYD unveiled a brand new lineup of automobiles for the European market. And earlier this yr, Nio outlined plans to launch a recent model of autos for the European market in 2024 that will likely be made at a brand new manufacturing facility in China.
The Chinese language Chamber of Commerce to the EU objected to the investigation, saying that China’s aggressive benefit was not because of subsidies, and that the bloc ought to take a look at Chinese language EVs objectively.
Just like the U.S., the EU desires to scale back its reliance on China, significantly for supplies and merchandise wanted to transition to electrical. Beijing has additionally been rising nearer with Moscow after Russia’s invasion with Ukraine, which has put some EU policymakers on edge.