China “does not approve or accept” the decision taken by the European Commission, after an investigation, to impose additional customs duties on electric cars imported from China.
“China neither approves nor accepts this decision. It has filed a lawsuit under the dispute settlement mechanism of the World Trade Organization (WTO),” a press release from the Ministry of Commerce said. “China will continue to take all necessary measures to firmly safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises,” he said.
The Chinese government’s comment comes after the EU Commission yesterday formalized the adoption of anti-subsidy duties on battery electric cars imported into the European Union from China. In particular, additional import duties of 17% are imposed for the Group Byd; 18.8% for the Geely Group; 35.3% for the Saic Group; 7.8% per Tesla; 20.7% for other companies that collaborated in the EU investigation and, finally, 35.3% for all other companies.