A car dealer in Hungary has cautioned about the potential consequences of the European Union's vote to impose tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, saying that this move could result in lower sales and increased price burdens for local consumers.
The European Commission announced Friday that it passed a vote to impose punitive tariffs on Chinese battery batter electric vehicles (BEVs), with ten member states backing the tariffs, 12 abstaining from the vote and five voting against the decision.
Hungary was one of the EU members that voted against the tariffs. In the country's capital city Budapest, local car dealer Mark Schiller expressed concerns and criticism over the EU decision.
"For us, it was a very strange thing from the EU to impose a tariff. I personally, it's my own opinion that I don't believe in this. This is just against China, Chinese BEV (battery electric vehicle) makers. I think there will be no benefit in this situation, so it's a bad way of getting hold of things. It's going to be very harmful then towards both economies," he said. Mark Schiller is the Strategic and Marketing Director of the family-owned car business Schiller Auto Family.
In January this year, his company signed a retail agreement with Chinese automaker BYD, becoming BYD's third partner in Hungary.
Schiller said the EU's punitive tariffs will not only influence the company's business, but harm the China-EU relationship.
"For us, it was a very strange thing from the EU to impose a tariff. I personally, it's my own opinion that I don't believe in this. This is just against China, Chinese BEV (battery electric vehicle) makers. I think there will be no benefit in this situation, so it's a bad way of getting hold of things. It's going to be very harmful then towards both economies," said Schiller.
At Schiller's auto store, local customers interested in buying a Chinese EV expressed concerns about rising car prices if the proposed tariffs are implemented.
"It would be more expensive. For a customer, it's not good. For a customer obviously, to buy the cheapest car, that's the best," a customer said.
Hungarian auto dealer warns EU tariffs on Chinese EVs could reduce sales, raise prices
Wang Xiuying, a deputy to the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) from Liaoning, on Tuesday highlighted the achievements in the northeastern Chinese province's desertification control efforts over the years.
In an interview with the press ahead of the closing meeting of the third session of the 14th NPC on Tuesday, Wang, also an agronomist of the Agricultural Economic Management Station in Liaoning's Zhangwu County, shared her experiences in sand control in the Horqin sandy land, China's largest sandy area.
"We have explored and implemented a series of integrated management models, using trees, grasses, water projects and photovoltaic projects to stabilize the sand. So far, the Three-North Shelter Forest Program has advanced 13 kilometers into the core area of the Horqin sandy land. The average wind speed has decreased from 3.4 meters per second in the 1950s to 1.9 meters per second now. By doing so, we have effectively prevented the southward expansion of the Horqin sandy land, thus safeguarding the ecological security of Liaoning and the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region," said Wang.
In addition to the efforts in desertification control, Wang and her team have also developed new crop varieties with high yields, helping local farmers to achieve greater prosperity.
"With crop rotation and fallow models and photovoltaic projects, we have applied multiple technologies to deliver tangible benefits for local farmers with increased farmland yields. Our team has been responsible for the demonstration area of the country's first corn yield improvement project, where we successfully grew corn with high yields on sandy land, achieving a yield of over 2,000 jin per mu (about 15,000 kg per hectare) for two consecutive years. We have gradually realized the long-awaited dream of transforming sandy land into fertile farmland," she said.
Since being an NPC deputy in 2023, She has submitted proposals on sand control and ecological protection.
"After conducting thorough research, I submitted a proposal on implementing pilot photovoltaic projects for sand control and ecological restoration, which was subsequently adopted by the relevant authorities. We have planned a provincial-level demonstration area for systematic management along the southern edge of the Horqin sandy land, and two demonstration zones focused on comprehensive management: one for the integrated management of mountains, rivers, forests, farmland, lakes, grasslands, and deserts, and another for the treatment of sandy land along the Liuhe River. Through these efforts, we have gradually achieved the governance objectives of conserving water, combating desertification, preserving fertile land, and safeguarding the ecosystem," said Wang.
Lawmaker highlights achievements in Liaoning's anti-desertification drive
