According to the Observer, citing Bloomberg, AFP and other foreign media released on the 14th, Swedish Prime Minister Kristersson was asked by the media on the spot how he thought of the EU's tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles when he held a joint press conference with visiting German Chancellor Scholz on the same day. Scholz believes that the EU should avoid "following the US" when dealing with Chinese electric vehicles, and must take into account the benefits of trade between China and the EU. Swedish Prime Minister Kristersson, who was also present at the press conference, echoed the same sentiment, but further pointed out that a continued escalation of the trade war would lead to mutual product blockades, which is not the path that industrial countries like Sweden and Germany should take.
Obviously, Scholz's "following the United States" refers to the Biden administration's official announcement of the results of the four-year review of the 301 tariffs imposed on China on the 14th. This time, the Biden administration will further increase tariffs on electric vehicles, lithium batteries, photovoltaic cells, semiconductors, personal protective equipment and other products imported from China on the basis of the past 301 tariffs. One of the most striking is the direct increase in tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles from 25% in the past to 102.5%.
Such an aggressive tariff not only shocked the American industry, but also stunned Europe on the other side of the ocean. This means that Biden will start a new tariff war against China as he nears the end of his first term. It is worth mentioning that Scholz also pointed out in response to media questions that the European Commission's previous anti-subsidy investigation of Chinese electric vehicles has not yet reached a result, but the connection between the European market and China is different from that of the North American market.
Scholz said that half of the electric vehicles imported by the West from China are produced by Western manufacturers themselves, while European and American car companies sell products in the Chinese market and are successful, so this must be taken into account when formulating tariff policies. In fact, it is not only the German government that is giving warning signs, but also the German industry at the center of the maelstrom. On the eve of the Biden administration's announcement of new tariffs, BMW Group Chairman Philip Zipzer once again urged the EU not to impose tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles. Zipzer reminded the EU in very harsh terms that the rash use of tariff weapons would not only hinder the EU's green industry plans, but also "shoot itself in the foot". Because there are no components from China, the EU can't even build a car.
It can be seen from the information fed back from all parties that France and Germany, the two EU "locomotives", are not only very resistant to the trade protectionism of the Biden administration, but even the anti-subsidy investigation launched by the EU against China's electric vehicles has considerable objections. As for the French and German industries, they are strongly calling on the EU to make prudent decisions and continue to insist on using a market economy to deal with the competitive pressure from China. The reason why there is such a significant difference between Europe and the United States in the face of Chinese electric vehicles is actually directly related to the competitiveness of European and American car companies.
At present, in addition to Tesla, the United States has not been able to find an electric vehicle brand that can be used, coupled with the Biden administration's investment in new energy infrastructure is too slow, and car companies that lack the cooperation of the general environment are not too willing to develop electric vehicles. On the one hand, China's electric vehicle market is still in the growth stage, and timely transformation is not only conducive to the long-term development of European car companies, but also can take advantage of the situation to overtake the United States. On the other hand, the European market is far less repulsive and resistant to Chinese cars than the United States, and France and Germany, which dominate the European auto industry, naturally do not want to be coerced by the United States and become victims of the strategic game between China and the United States.
But even so, we must be vigilant about the next development, even if Germany is unwilling to follow the United States, but this does not mean that von der Leyen, who is tough on China, also has the same idea. If the EU, under von der Leyen's guidance, insists on imposing tariffs on electric vehicles exported from the mainland, China-EU economic and trade relations will be further complicated by this move.