German government wants to vote against higher import taxes on Chinese electric cars

The German car industry had campaigned for a rejection and warned of a global trade conflict. The European Commission accuses China of over-subsidizing the electric car sector and thus distorting the market. The EU therefore wants to introduce additional tariffs, which in some cases will probably exceed 35 percent.

However, the 27 EU Member States have a say in the decision. A majority of countries can stop the measure, but that has not seemed feasible recently. According to the Commission, Chinese electric cars are typically around 20 percent cheaper than models produced in the EU. The German Ministry of Economic Affairs says that they want fair competition, but no trade war with tariffs.