The China Chamber of Commerce to the European Union (CCCEU) issued a statement on Friday, expressing strong dissatisfaction with the EU's protectionism measures to raise tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles (EVs).
The European Commission -- the executive arm of the 27-nation EU -- approved to impose tariffs of up to 45 percent on Chinese EVs after a pivotal vote on Friday, even after the bloc's largest economy and major car producer Germany rejected them.
The CCCEU urged the EU to act prudently, suspend the implementation of tariffs on Chinese EVs, and focus on resolving disputes and differences through talks.
This would help avoid the escalation of bilateral trade disputes, and jointly safeguard free trade and prosperity in the green and clean energy sectors on both sides, as well as worldwide, the chamber said in the statement.
The EU’s countervailing investigation against China's EVs is an unfair protectionist practice driven by politics. Imposing high tariffs will not only affect Chinese enterprises but also interfere with the production of EVs in China by European and other overseas enterprises, the chamber said.