China's commerce ministry said it firmly opposes the EU's additional anti-subsidy tariffs on Chinese EVs, but notes the EU's political will to continue to resolve the issue through negotiations.
China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) has voiced its opposition to the European Union's additional tariffs on electric vehicles (EVs) from China, after the vote was passed earlier today.
China firmly opposes the European side's unfair, non-compliant, and unreasonable protectionist practices, and resolutely opposes the European side's imposition of anti-subsidy duties on Chinese EVs, according to a Q&A today.
China's EVs are market-driven, with full competition, and through continuous innovation, have increased the quality supply of green public goods in the world, making an important contribution to the global response to climate change, a MOFCOM spokesperson said.
The European side's protectionist practices seriously violate WTO rules and interfere with the normal international trade order, the spokesperson said.
This not only hinders China-EU trade and investment cooperation and slows down the EU's own green transformation process, but will also affect the joint global efforts to combat climate change, the spokesperson said.
Earlier today, EU member states voted to impose tariffs on EVs imported from China, making higher tariffs a five-year policy.
In the meantime, the EU and China continue their efforts to explore an alternative solution that would have to be fully WTO-compatible, adequate in addressing the injurious subsidization established by the investigation, the European Commission said.
Germany, Hungary, Malta, Slovakia, Slovenia voted against, and Bulgaria, Denmark, Estonia, France, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Poland voted in favor of the additional tariffs, according to a Bloomberg story today.
Since the end of June, China and Europe have held numerous consultations on the EV case and China has demonstrated openness and cooperation throughout the process, showing maximum flexibility, MOFCOM said.
On September 19, Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao and the European Commission Vice President and trade commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis held talks and agreed to open consultations on price commitment to avoid escalating trade friction, according to the statement.
China firmly opposes the European side's draft final ruling, but also notes the European side's expression of political will to continue to solve the issue through negotiations, the MOFCOM spokesperson said, adding that technical teams from both sides will continue negotiations on October 7.
China hopes that the European side will wake up to the fact that the imposition of tariffs will not solve any problems and will only shake and stunt the confidence and determination of Chinese companies to invest and cooperate in Europe, MOFCOM said.
China urges the European side to really show practical actions to implement its political will and return to the right track of resolving trade frictions through consultations, MOFCOM said, adding that China will also take all measures to firmly safeguard the interests of Chinese enterprises.
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