BRUSSELS (Reuters) – France, Greece, Italy and Poland will vote on Friday to impose tariffs of up to 45% on imports of electric vehicles into the European Union (EU). EV) made in China, officials and several sources said, providing enough support to pass the European Commission’s proposal.
The EU executive, which is leading an anti-subsidy investigation into Chinese-made EVs, has sent its proposal for final tariffs to the 27 EU member states ahead of the vote expected on Friday.
Under EU law, the Commission can impose final tariffs for the next five years unless a qualified majority of 15 EU member countries representing 65% of the bloc’s population votes against the plan.
France, Greece, Italy and Poland together represent 39% of the EU population.
During a speech in Berlin, French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed on Wednesday that he supports the European Commission’s plan on customs duties on Chinese EVs imported into the EU, ensuring that Europe must defend its industries against competition foreign.
At the same conference, German Economy Minister Robert Habeck for his part advocated a political solution with China, while the adoption of customs duties is likely to increase trade tensions with Beijing.
The European Commission has declared itself ready to continue negotiations with China in order to find an alternative to customs duties. The EU executive could re-examine a price commitment – involving a minimum import price and usually a volume cap – after previously rejecting commitments offered by Chinese companies.
One option is to set minimum import prices, calculated based on criteria such as range, battery performance and length of the electric vehicle, as well as whether it is a two- or four-wheel drive vehicle, said a source familiar with the matter.
Another solution aims to commit to investing in the EU, with quotas for a transitional period.
Brussels’ proposed tariffs range from 7.8% for Tesla to 35.3% for SAIC and other companies considered to have failed to cooperate with the EU investigation.
These customs duties are in addition to the standard 10% import duties imposed by the EU on cars.
(Reporting Philip Blenkinsop, Leigh Thomas, Lefteris Papadimos, Giuseppe Fonte, Victoria Waldersee; written by Peter Graff; Mara Vîlcu, edited by Blandine Hénault)
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