China calls for fair treatment for electric vehicles in Europe

China has expressed disappointment over the European Commission’s recent decisions regarding the EU’s anti-subsidy investigation into Chinese electric vehicles, stressing that it will take all necessary measures to defend the interests of its companies, the Ministry of Commerce announced Friday.

On September 12, a spokesperson for the European Commission said that the price undertaking proposals submitted by the China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Machinery and Electronics and all electric vehicle manufacturers regarding the EU’s anti-subsidy case on electric vehicles did not meet the necessary requirements. The EU intends to reject the relevant price undertaking requests.

China believes the EU has ignored the good faith and efforts made by China’s electric vehicle industry by rejecting flexible solution proposals without conducting in-depth consultations, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Commerce said in an online statement.

On 20 August and 9 September, the European Commission published its final conclusions in the anti-subsidy case on electric vehicles, maintaining its position and imposing high tariffs.

On August 24, within the statutory investigation period, the Chinese electric vehicle industry proposed a price commitment solution, which fully took into account the EU’s concerns and demonstrated maximum flexibility.

The Chinese electric vehicle industry believes that the proposed price commitment is compliant, enforceable and that all technical issues could be resolved through negotiations. It has been reported that several EU Member States have also shown considerable interest in this proposal.

According to the statement, the EC rejected the solution without detailed evaluation, undermining the confidence of the Chinese electric vehicle industry and failing to meet the expectations of EU member states.

Since the launch of consultations on the EU’s electric vehicle anti-subsidy case on June 22, China and the EU have held more than 10 rounds of intensive discussions. China has presented a substantial amount of factual evidence, as well as a flexible resolution proposal, demonstrating considerable efforts, according to the Ministry of Commerce.

The spokesperson said the EU claims to want to resolve the issue through dialogue, but it has hastily and carelessly rejected China’s proposals, without ever providing any concrete counter-offers or showing any real intention to find common ground with China. If the consultations fail to reach a consensus, the responsibility will fall entirely on the EU.

It was also stressed that the key question now is whether the EU has the political will to solve the problem and called on the EU to show sincerity and take into account the legitimate concerns of the Chinese electric vehicle industry.

China has the utmost sincerity in resolving disputes through dialogue and consultation, and the strongest determination to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises. “The country will closely follow the EU’s further actions and take all necessary measures to defend the legal rights of Chinese enterprises,” the Ministry of Commerce said.