EU Votes to Impose Anti-Subsidy Tax on Chinese Electric Vehicles China's Response
TapTechNews October 4th news, on October 4th local time, the EU held a vote on whether to impose a five-year anti-subsidy tax on Chinese electric vehicles. The statement released by the European Commission shows that the proposal of the European Commission to impose tariffs on imported pure electric vehicles from China has obtained the necessary support of EU member states.
The spokesperson of the Ministry of Commerce answered reporters' questions regarding the EU's vote to pass the final draft of the electric vehicle anti-subsidy case.
Q: According to relevant reports, on October 4th, representatives of EU member states voted to pass the final draft of the EU electric vehicle anti-subsidy case submitted by the European Commission, and plans to impose a final anti-subsidy tax on electric vehicles originated from China. What is China's comment on this?
A: China has noted the relevant reports. Regarding the EU's anti-subsidy case against Chinese electric vehicles, China's position is consistent and clear. China firmly opposes the unfair, non-compliant and unreasonable protectionist practices of the EU in this case, and firmly opposes the EU's imposition of an anti-subsidy tax on Chinese electric vehicles.
Chinese electric vehicles adhere to market leadership and are based on full competition. Through continuous independent innovation, they have increased the high-quality supply of global green public goods and made important contributions to the global response to climate change. The protectionist practices of the EU seriously violate the rules of the WTO, disrupt the normal international trade order, not only hinder China-EU trade and investment cooperation, delay the EU's own green transformation process, but also affect the joint efforts of the global response to climate change.
China implements the consensus reached by the leaders of both sides, always proceeds from the overall situation of maintaining the China-EU comprehensive strategic partnership, and has always adhered to the greatest sincerity of properly handling differences through dialogue and consultation. Since the end of June, China and the EU have conducted more than ten technical consultations at the directorate-general level and two vice-ministerial consultations on the electric vehicle anti-subsidy case. On September 19th, Minister Wang Wentao and the Executive Vice-President of the European Commission and Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis held a comprehensive, in-depth and constructive meeting. Both sides clearly expressed the political will to resolve differences through consultation and unanimously agreed to start the price commitment consultation to avoid the escalation of trade frictions. In the short 14 days since then, the China-EU technical team has conducted 6 rounds of technical consultations. China has repeatedly and fully listened to the demands and opinions of the China-EU industry, and has shown an open and cooperative attitude throughout the consultation, showing the greatest flexibility.
China firmly opposes the EU's final draft, but also notes the EU's political will to continue to solve the problem through negotiation. The China-EU technical team will continue to negotiate on October 7th. China hopes that the EU will clearly realize that imposing tariffs cannot solve any problem, but will only shake and block the confidence and determination of Chinese enterprises in investing and cooperating with the EU. China urges the EU to truly show practical actions to implement the political will and return to the right track of resolving trade frictions through consultation. C hina will also definitely take all measures to firmly safeguard the interests of Chinese enterprises.
According to TapTechNews' understanding, on October 4th last year, the European Commission launched an anti-subsidy investigation against imported electric vehicles from China, and began to levy a temporary anti-subsidy tax on Chinese electric vehicles on July 4th this year. On August 20th, the EU released the final draft of the anti-subsidy investigation on Chinese electric vehicles, showing that it plans to levy an anti-subsidy tax of 17% to 36.3% on Chinese electric vehicles.