At the beginning of June, the announcement came from the EU that they are raising tariffs on electric cars from China to just over 38 percent, which some describe as the start of a trade war.
The aim was to protect the domestic European car manufacturers from cheap electric cars which are believed to be unfairly subsidized by the Chinese state.
During a meeting between the Chinese Chamber of Commerce and a number of major car manufacturers, China has now threatened to introduce corresponding punitive tariffs against the EU, reports The World of Technology.
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China wants to raise tariffs – but not on electric cars
It has been reported that what is being discussed is an increase in duties on cars with large petrol engines from 15 to 25 percent.
The carmakers present during the meeting included SAIC, BYD, Volkswagen, Stellantis, BMW, Mercedes, Porsche and Renault, and the aim was to put pressure on the EU to reduce or remove the new tariffs.
Chinese car manufacturers are said to have also called for an analysis of the price policy surrounding European food production and export.
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Europe exports to China
It is not only China that exports cheap electric cars to Europe, but European car manufacturers also sell a lot of cars in China.
The category of cars on which the Chinese government plans to raise tariffs is one in which German automakers are by far the largest.
In 2023, China imported nearly 200,000 cars with an internal combustion engine of more than 2.5 liters, which was an increase of 11 percent from the previous year.
In total, the EU countries exported cars worth around SEK 200 billion to China in 2023, while the value of the export of electric cars from China to the EU was about half that.
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