China defended this Tuesday that the tariffs imposed by the European Commission on Chinese electric vehicles will harm the “green transformation of the community bloc” and the global response to climate change.
The rates distort automotive supply chains and harm European Union (EU) consumers. Furthermore, they will harm the EU’s own green transformation process and the global response to climate change,” the spokesperson for the National Development and Reform Commission of the Asian country said at a press conference.
Li Chao added that “trade protectionism is not the way out” and tariffs “will impede the long-term healthy development of EU companies.”
China “actively supports automotive companies around the world to engage in fair competition and maintain the stability of supply chains,” he added, saying it hopes the EU “will be prudent, respect basic economic laws and regulations.” rules of the World Trade Organization and also listen. to the industry itself.”
On the sidelines of the conference, Li argued that the new energy vehicle industry has developed “very quickly” in China and offers “a large number of high-quality models.”
They are many well received by consumers national and foreign. The key to this rapid development lies in the application of the law, respect for competition in the market and our persistence in opening. Furthermore, the concept of green development is deeply rooted in society and has become a trend, and the automobile industry has followed this consumer-oriented trend,” he stated.
According to Li, it was “full market competition” that led companies to increase “investment in R&D [Investigação de Desenvolvimento]creating competitive advantages in China.”
The official highlighted that companies such as Tesla, Volkswagen and BMW did not hesitate to “invest in the production of electric vehicles in China.”
The statements came after the European Commission announced, on Wednesday, additional tariffs of 21%, on average, on imports of electric vehicles from China, following an investigation into subsidies provided by the Chinese governmentlaunched in October last year.
Five days later, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce announced an investigation. antidumping (unfair competition) against some imports of pork and pork products from the EU, in an early response to tariffs imposed by Brussels on Chinese electric vehicles.
Source: Observadora
