France supports EU tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles
According to Bloomberg, France's new Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said, "France supports the EU's plan to impose tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles because China has been using subsidies to maintain its dominance in the automotive industry."
Jean-Noel Barrot said in an interview with Bloomberg TV reporter Annmarie Hordern: "The EU's intention to increase tariffs is not to adopt some form of comprehensive protectionism against China, but basically to create a fair competitive environment."
Jean-Noel Barrot said that taking checks and balances on China will make Europe "more independent, economically stronger and strategically more autonomous."
Currently, China and the EU are negotiating alternative solutions to tariffs. Chinese automakers have proposed selling electric vehicles in the EU at the lowest price. A spokesman for China's Ministry of Commerce said that "technical teams from both China and the EU are negotiating on a flexible price commitment plan" and "making every effort to reach a consensus on the framework of the solution before the EU makes a final ruling on electric vehicle tariffs."
The European automobile and parts manufacturing industry is facing the far-reaching impact of electrification and competition from China, involving thousands of jobs and economic output. But unlike France, German Economy Minister Robert Habeck previously said he did not support the EU's imposition of tariffs on China, and Hungary's Foreign Minister also said his country would vote against the EU Commission's imposition of tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles.
It is reported that EU member states are expected to vote on the draft legislation on imposing tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles in early October. The vote was originally scheduled for September 25, but was slightly postponed after the EU and China agreed to intensify negotiations.