China and EU agree to talks on planned electric vehicle tariffs

China and the European Union have agreed to start talks on the planned imposition of tariffs on Chinese-made electric vehicles being imported into the European market, senior officials of both sides said on Saturday.

Germany’s Economy Minister Robert Habeck said he had been informed by EU commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis that there would be concrete negotiations on tariffs with China.

The confirmation came after China’s commerce ministry said its head Wang Wentao, and Dombrovskis, executive vice-president of the European Commission, had agreed to start consultations over the EU’s anti-subsidy investigation into Chinese EVs.

“This is new and surprising in that it has not been possible to enter into a concrete negotiation timetable in the last few weeks,” Habeck said in Shanghai.

He said it was a first step and many more will be necessary. “We are far from the end, but at least, it is a first step that was not possible before.”

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Chinese-made electric vehicles face additional EU import tariffs of up to 38%

Chinese-made electric vehicles face additional EU import tariffs of up to 38%

The minister had said earlier on Saturday that the European Union’s door was open for discussions regarding EU tariffs on Chinese exports.