According to Reuters, a person familiar with the matter revealed that Germany will abstain in the July 15 vote on EU member states to impose temporary tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles.
Photo source: BMW, previously, the EU announced an additional temporary tariff of up to 37.
6% on imported Chinese-made electric vehicles.
This is the EU’s largest trade case to date, exacerbating trade tensions between China and Europe.
, People familiar with the matter said Germany would abstain in the first vote because countervailing investigations were continuing and negotiations between the European Commission and the Chinese government were still ongoing.
German carmakers, which account for one-third of global sales in China every year, are worried about countermeasures by China and trade conflicts with this important trading partner.
The first vote by EU member states is not binding.
During the interim phase, although the European Commission needs to consult EU member states and should consider their positions, it has full authority to impose tariffs.
The EU will also hold a final vote at the end of the investigation, at which time the European Commission can propose the imposition of final tariffs, which usually lasts for five years.
If an effective majority of the EU’s 27 member states opposes, the EU’s proposal could be blocked.
However, an effective majority requires at least 15 member states, and the total population of these member states accounts for at least 65% of the total population of the EU.
Return to the first electric network home page>,.
