Germany, Spain call for negotiation on EU on Chinese EV Tariffs

The European Union (EU) is set to vote this Friday (Oct. 4) on a proposal to impose tariffs on imported electric vehicles from China, with Germany planning to vote against the measure, according to sources cited by Reuters.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz expressed a wish on Wednesday (Oct. 2) to negotiate with China. German Federal Minister of Finance Christian Lindner criticized the European Commission's proposal to levy tariffs as a misguided risk.

In a letter to the European Commission, Spain's Minister of Economy Carlos Cuerpo suggested that instead of imposing tariffs, the EU should keep negotiation channels open with China. He advocated for reaching agreements on issues such as pricing and shifting battery production to Europe, rather than sticking to the tariff proposal through a vote.

In a non-binding vote by the European Commission in July, Germany abstained from voting on the proposal to impose tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles. Subsequently, several automakers and unions have expressed opposition to the tariffs, pressuring the government to cast a vote against them.

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