BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - The Chinese government has expressed concern over the European Union's draft decision to impose countervailing duties of up to 36.3 percent on imports of electric vehicles from China, a spokesperson with the Ministry of Commerce said.
'China will take all necessary measures to resolutely defend the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies,' the spokesperson added, according to CNBC.
The draft decision is part of the EU's ongoing anti-subsidy investigation, which began on October 4, 2023 and is expected to conclude by November 4, 2024.
The proposed duties include 17.0 percent on BYD EVs, 19.3 percent on Geely EVs and 36.3 percent on SAIC EVs.
Meanwhile, other cooperating companies are subject to a duty of 21.3 percent, whereas all other non-cooperating companies will pay 36.3 percent.
Following a special request from the U.S.-based EV maker Tesla (TSLA), the European Commission verified the level of subsidies granted to the company during a visit to China and fixed its duty rate at 9 percent.
'Any differences in duty levels reflect the varying levels of subsidization among the different schemes, which were affected by various elements, such as the level of cooperation and the different organizational structures in areas like financing,' the EC said.
During the investigation process, the Chinese government and China's EV industry has submitted 'tens of thousands of pages of legal documents and evidence materials' to counter the unreasonable and non-compliant practices of the European side, the spokesperson added.
'The disclosure was based on the 'facts' unilaterally identified by the EC, rather than the facts recognized by both sides,' the ministry said. 'China firmly opposes this and it is highly concerned.'
The draft decision was also criticized by China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, which warned that the tariffs would erode the confidence of Chinese businesses operating and investing in Europe.
The association urged the European side to uphold a dialogue as the decision could negatively impact the EU automotive industry, employment and their efforts to achieve a green and sustainable development.
Copyright(c) 2024 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved
Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX
© 2024 AFX News
