China has officially filed an appeal with the World Trade Organization (WTO) challenging the European Union’s recent imposition of provisional additional tariffs on imports of Chinese electric vehicles (EVs). The appeal was lodged on Friday, signaling escalating tensions in the global EV market.
The Ministry of Commerce of China stated that the EU’s preliminary ruling lacks factual and legal basis, seriously violates WTO rules, and undermines global cooperation on climate change. “To safeguard the development rights and interests of the EV industry and global green transformation cooperation, China appealed to the WTO dispute settlement mechanism over the EU’s provisional countervailing measures on EVs,” the ministry announced.
China urged the EU to immediately rectify its actions and work collaboratively to protect the stability of China-EU economic and trade relations, as well as the EV industry chain and supply chain. The appeal underscores China’s commitment to defending its EV industry against what it perceives as unjust trade practices.
In early July, the European Commission imposed provisional additional tariffs of up to 37.6 percent on Chinese battery electric vehicle (BEV) manufacturers. The Commission claimed that subsidies benefiting the Chinese BEV value chain posed an economic risk to EU producers, prompting the imposition of the tariffs.
The dispute highlights the growing competitiveness of Chinese EV manufacturers in the global market and raises concerns about potential trade conflicts impacting the global transition to green energy. Both China and the EU play significant roles in the advancement of electric mobility, and collaboration is crucial to achieving global climate goals.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
