With billions of dollars in trade between China and the European Union at stake, Germany’s second-highest cabinet official called for talks to resolve an escalating dispute over tariffs. The official expressed hope for negotiations to start soon and emphasized the importance of avoiding tariffs, although he noted that they could be justified if concerns about China’s subsidies for its electric car industry were not addressed. The European Commission has proposed additional tariffs on electric cars from China, citing heavy government subsidies in the Chinese electric car sector. This puts German automakers in a difficult position as they have operations in China and fear retaliatory actions by Beijing.
With billions of dollars in trade at stake, Germany’s second-highest cabinet official urges talks to resolve a tariff dispute between China and the European Union. The official expresses hope for negotiations to begin soon and emphasizes the need to avoid tariffs. The European Commission has proposed additional tariffs on Chinese electric cars due to perceived government subsidies in the sector. This presents a challenge for German automakers who have operations in China and are concerned about potential retaliatory actions.
