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EU tariffs on Chinese EVs could backfire, German car bosses warn

Top executives at BMW and Volkswagen on Wednesday cautioned versus imposing EU import tasks on electrical cars from Chinese car manufacturers, stating it might overthrow the bloc's Green Offer plan and damage automakers that import vehicles made in China.

The European Commission, which manages trade policy in the 27-nation European Union, introduced an investigation in October into whether fully-electric cars made in China were receiving distortive subsidies and necessitated extra tariffs.

You might extremely rapidly shoot yourself in the foot, BMW CEO Oliver Zipse informed reporters after the German premium automaker reported quarterly results.

BMW imports Chinese-made Mini EVs and the iX3 into Europe.

Like its German rivals Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz, BMW is greatly dependent on profits from its Chinese company.

China is BMW's second-largest market after Europe, representing almost 32% of sales in the very first quarter.

We do not believe that our industry needs security, Zipse told experts on Wednesday, adding that running on a worldwide basis provides major car manufacturers an industrial benefit. You can easily endanger that advantage by presenting import tariffs.

Volkswagen, Europe's greatest carmaker which also heavily relies on China, cautioned that prospective duties typically carried a particular danger.

There's always some sort of retaliation, Thomas Schaefer, CEO of the Volkswagen brand, informed the feet's Future of the Vehicle Summit.

In March, the Commission started custom-mades registration of Chinese EV imports, meaning they could be struck by tariffs from that point if the trade investigation concludes they are receiving unjust subsidies.

The probe is because of conclude by November, but the EU could impose provisional responsibilities in July. Brussels needs to publish a. summary of proposed provisional tasks by June 5 and these. tasks would be enforced by July 4.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated in. Berlin on Wednesday that Europe needed to take actions to prevent. China from flooding the bloc's market with subsidised electric. automobiles.

French President Emmanuel Macron and Von der Leyen prompted. Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday to guarantee. more balanced trade with Europe.

Zipse told analysts that BMW and other automakers have. bilateral dependencies not only on the final product, but on. the component side and basic material side.

Enforcing duties might backfire as brand-new EU CO2 emission. standards that will require more EVs - that are reliant on. Chinese battery products - start next year.

There will be no single car in the EU without parts. from China, Zipse stated.

He stated that enforcing tariffs would reverse the EU's commercial. strategy to ensure the bloc is a frontrunner in cutting carbon. emissions and establishing the innovation required to do so.

There is no Green Deal in Europe without resources from. China, Zipse stated.