SHENZHEN, China (Reuters) – China’s auto industry association said in a statement on Saturday it was “strongly dissatisfied” with anti-subsidy tariffs proposed by the European Union.
The European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association said in a post on Chinese messaging app WeChat that manufacturers had cooperated with the European Commission’s investigation into Chinese subsidies, but that the investigation ignored pre-determined facts and findings.
The European Union imposed tariffs of up to 37.6% on imports of Chinese-made electric cars starting Friday, with a four-month temporary period during which the duties will remain in place and intense talks expected between the two sides.
CAAM said it “deeply regrets this and considers it completely unacceptable.”
The provisional tariffs, ranging from 17.4% to 37.6% with no retrospective date, aim to prevent what European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has described as a threatening flood of cheap Chinese electric vehicles built with state support.
The EU’s anti-subsidy investigation is set to last around four months.
