The Ministry of Commerce Photo: VCG
China’s Ministry of Commerce on Wednesday urged the EU to immediately correct its wrong practices and properly address economic and trade frictions through dialogue and consultation, and vowed to take all necessary measures to firmly uphold the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies.
The ministry’s comments came after the European Commission (EC) announced it would impose provisional duties on imports of Chinese battery electric vehicles (BEVs) of up to 38.1 percent. The EC, which oversees EU trade policy, said the tariffs, likely to be in place in July, would be 17.4 percent for BYD, 20 percent for Geely and 38.1 percent for SAIC. according to the commission’s news release Wednesday.
Other BEV companies that cooperate with the investigation will face a 21 percent tariff and companies that do not cooperate will face a 38.1 percent tariff, according to the statement.
In response, MOFCOM said that the European side ignores the facts and rules of the WTO, ignores China’s repeated strong objections, and ignores the calls and discouragements of the governments and industries of many EU member states. which is a cause of great concern and great dissatisfaction. on the Chinese side.
The Chinese industrial sector is deeply disappointed and resolutely opposed to the measure, MOFCOM said.
The conclusions of the disclosure of the European ruling have no factual or legal basis. The EC ignores the objective fact that China’s advantage in the EV sector comes from open competition, ignores WTO rules, and ignores the full cooperation of relevant Chinese companies in the relevant investigation.
The EC deliberately constructs and exaggerates the so-called subsidy programme, and the imposition of abnormally high subsidy margins is a blatant act of protectionism, which creates and intensifies trade frictions and “destroys fair competition” in the name of “safeguarding fair competition “. which is the greatest “injustice” of all, MOFCOM noted.
This move by the European side not only harms the legitimate rights and interests of China’s electric vehicle industry, but will also disrupt and distort global automotive industrial and supply chains, including that of the EU, MOFCOM said.
The EC raises the flag of green development with one hand and wields the “protectionist” stick with the other, politicizing and weaponizing economic and trade issues, which is not in line with the spirit of the China-EU leaders’ consensus on the strengthening cooperation.
It will affect the atmosphere of bilateral economic and trade cooperation between China and the EU. The move is not in the interests of the EU’s own consumers and will also jeopardize the EU’s own green transformation and the overall situation of global cooperation on climate change, MOFCOM further noted.
Global times
