Germany's auto association on Wednesday urged the European Commission to drop the planned tariffs on imports of electric vehicles from China, saying anti-subsidy tariffs are not in the interest of the European Union (EU).
In a statement posted on its official website, the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA) said that the planned tariffs harm both European consumers and European companies, make it more difficult to ramp up electromobility in the EU, and are not conducive to achieving the Paris CO2 climate targets.
The planned anti-subsidy tariffs would affect European companies and their joint ventures in particular, as a large proportion of vehicle imports from China into the EU come from European and American manufacturers, and the cooperation and production of European manufacturers in China are an important building block for the transformation and competitiveness in Europe, the auto association said in the statement.
The auto association also said that raw materials and battery technologies from China provide guarantee for the ramp-up of electromobility in the EU, and anti-subsidy tariffs would make electric vehicles more expensive on the European market, limiting the availability of cheap electric vehicles for customers.
The European Commission -- the executive arm of the 27-member EU-- said in June that it would impose extra duties of up to 38.1 percent on imported Chinese electric cars from July, while China warned later it would take measures to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies.
German auto association urges EU to drop planned tariffs on EV imports from China
