AVERE Press Release: Reaction to the European Commission Decision to Impose Duties on Imported Vehicles from China

import duties

Our association remains fully committed to open, rules-based and fair trade that ensures a level playing field for all market participants.

Brussels. AVERE acknowledges the European Commission's recent announcement to impose additional duties on imported vehicles from China, based on initial findings of an anti-subsidy investigation initiated last year.

Our association remains fully committed to open, rules-based and fair trade that ensures a level playing field for all market participants. Trade between regions across the world and Europe remains the beating heart of the EU’s prosperity. AVERE calls on the EU and China to avoid escalating trade tensions. Higher tariffs, whilst addressing short-term concerns, often lead to higher prices, reduced availability of products, and strained international relations, none of which are beneficial to European consumers or automakers.

The EU should therefore continue to focus on enhancing the competitiveness of European industry through a clear forward looking industrial strategy. For starters, the EU should refrain from re-opening the discussion on CO2 standards for passenger cars; such a re-opening would only make investment in the EV space – both manufacturing and supply chain - riskier, where instead de-risking should be the top priority.

This also necessitates a supportive regulatory framework, simplified and more effective state aid regimes that can compete with the Inflation Reduction Act, purchase incentives, access to critical materials and affordable energy, and sufficient charging infrastructure.

The primary focus must remain on ensuring that affordable electric vehicles (EVs) are available in the European market. Facilitating the switch to EVs is critical for achieving our environmental goals and supporting consumers in their transition to cleaner transportation options. It is essential that policy measures ultimately enhance the accessibility and affordability of EVs for European consumers. As such, any revenues from import tariffs should be used to accelerate the transition to e-mobility by financing critical mineral refining capacity in Europe, deploying chargers, and providing incentives for manufacturing EVs. This approach would ensure that the shift to e-mobility is cost-effective for consumers and supports the development of necessary infrastructure and industry growth.

With more certainty regarding its competitive position, there will be all the more reason to further accelerate the transition to EVs.

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