China announces cooperation agreement with the EU to avoid tariffs on electric vehicles

MADRID, (EUROPA PRESS) – The Chinese Ministry of Commerce announced this Saturday a cooperation agreement with the European Union to avoid the tariffs announced by Brussels on Chinese electric vehicles.

The Chinese Minister of Commerce, Wang Wentao, and the EU Trade Commissioner, Valdis Dombrovskis, held a telematic meeting after which it was announced that the Chinese subsidies that would justify tariffs of up to 38.1 percent will be examined. announced.

The two parties have agreed to open consultations on the EU anti-subsidy investigation on electric vehicles originating in China,” the Chinese Ministry of Commerce highlighted in a message published on its X social network account.

These rates would come into effect in July if the parties do not reach an agreement. There has even been speculation that they could be retroactively cancelled if the agreement is reached after its implementation.

Speaking from China on Saturday, German Economy Minister Robert Habeck stressed that these tariffs should not be seen as a punitive measure.

“It is important to understand that they are not punitive tariffs (…). The objective is to achieve common criteria for market access,” he argued.

China announced additional tariffs on pork meat imported from the EU, which particularly affects exports from Spain.