After the European Union imposed punitive tariffs, which can reach up to 45%, on electric cars manufactured in China, and the U.S. announced new tariffs on the import of Chinese products, which for electric vehicles can go up to 100%, it is now Beijing’s turn to announce that it is considering increasing customs duties on vehicles with large engines.
In a statement, the China Chamber of Commerce in the European Union (EU) said it had been “informed by industry experts” about the possible increase in tariffs and mentioned the implications this would have for European and North American car manufacturers.
The chamber of commerce cited an interview published by the Chinese official newspaper “Global Times“, in which Liu Bin, one of the leading experts influential in shaping government policies for the automotive sector, mentioned that Beijing is considering raising tariffs on imported large-engine cars to 25%.
Liu pointed out sedans and SUVs with engines over 2.5 liters as the target of the measure, which “would be in accordance with the regulations of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and would help China promote the transition to ‘greener’ practices in the automotive sector and advance towards carbon emission reduction goals”.
