The European Commission is considering imposing import tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles (EVs), citing preliminary findings that Chinese state subsidies are putting EU EV manufacturers at an unfair disadvantage (the EU would never subsidize own sectors). The Commission has reached out to Chinese authorities to discuss these findings and seek WTO-compliant solutions.
If talks with China do not yield effective resolutions, provisional countervailing duties will be implemented from July 4, secured through deposits determined by customs in each EU member state. These duties will only be enforced if final tariffs are approved.
Chinese battery electric vehicle manufacturers cooperating with the investigation will face an additional 21% duty. Specific tariffs for BYD, Geely, and SAIC are set at 17.4%, 20%, and 38.1%, respectively.
European automakers such as BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Volkswagen are experiencing price and market share pressures in China from local manufacturers like BYD and Geely, who also have expansion plans in Europe.
edit:
It was expected that Europe would follow the US's lead