“It is important to understand that these are not punitive tariffs,” Habeck said, contrasting the EU measures with those implemented by countries such as the U.S., Brazil and Turkey, according to a Reuters report. Habeck said that for nine months, the European Commission had examined in great detail whether Chinese companies had benefited unfairly from subsidies.
The proposed EU tariffs are intended to level the playing field with China, Habeck told Zheng Shanjie, chairman of China’s National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC). Habeck also told Shanije that if Beijing didn’t support Russia’s war, Europe and Germany wouldn’t be reducing their dependency on China for raw materials, according to the reports.
Habeck reiterated Europe’s willingness to talk to China about the tariffs on imports of Chinese electric vehicles, adding that the measures are meant to compensate for the advantages granted to Chinese companies by Beijing.
The state-run China Global Television Network reported that the NDRC’s Shanije said the EU-imposed tariffs benefit no one and will eventually backfire.
