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[News] EU Plans to Cut Tariffs on China-Made Tesla EVs from 20% to 9%, with Final Decision Expected in October


2024-08-21 Emerging Technologies editor

On July 4th, the EU announced a provisional anti-subsidy tariff on electric vehicles imported from China, with a final decision set for October 30th. On August 20th, the EU released a draft decision regarding the final anti-subsidy tariffs, adjusting the rates for different Chinese electric vehicle manufacturers based on the latest investigation progress.

Notably, as per a report from Commercial Times, the tariff on Tesla’s electric vehicles has been reduced from 20.8% in July to 9%. Tariffs on vehicles from BYD and Geely have also been slightly lowered.

On August 20th, the European Commission disclosed its draft decision on the final anti-subsidy investigation for electric vehicles imported from China, making slight adjustments to the proposed rates.

Tesla saw the most significant reduction, while BYD and Geely received minor cuts. Specifically, BYD’s tariff rate was reduced from 17.4% to 17%, and Geely’s from 19.9% to 19.3%.

Additionally, other companies that the EU deemed cooperative will face a tariff of 21.3%. Chinese automakers and SAIC Motor, which were assessed as not fully cooperating with the investigation, will have their tariffs adjusted from 37.6% to 36.3%.

The European Commission also decided not to retroactively impose the anti-subsidy tariffs, with the final decision expected by October 30th.

The EU maintains the opinion that Chinese electric vehicle production benefits from extensive government subsidies and thus proposes a final tariff of up to 36.3%, slightly lower than the provisional 37.6% tariff imposed on Chinese imports in early July.

In response, the China Chamber of Commerce to the EU expressed concerns, stating that both the development of the European automotive industry and reports from the EU itself show insufficient evidence that Chinese new energy vehicles have caused substantial harm to the EU market.

The Chamber criticized the EU’s decision to impose trade measures based on a perceived “threat of injury,” arguing that this approach contradicts WTO principles and is unacceptable to the industry.

The Chamber emphasized that the competitive edge of Chinese-made electric vehicles is not due to subsidies but rather stems from industrial scale, supply chain advantages, and intense market competition.

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(Photo credit: Pixabay)

Please note that this article cites information from European Commission and China Chamber of Commerce.

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