The European Union is iron-hearted, and it has gone all the way to the black on the issue of imposing tariffs on electric vehicles in China, with BYD 17.4%, Geely Automobile 20%, and SAIC 38.1%; Other Chinese producers are taxed at 21%. If it does not cooperate, it will be taxed at 38.1%. As soon as the EU announced a tax on electric vehicles, China urged it to end it as soon as possible.
Recently, the European Commission announced that it will impose tariffs of up to 38.1% on electric vehicles imported from China from July, causing an uproar.
This decision is undoubtedly a sharp blow to Chinese electric vehicle companies to curb their expansion in the European market.
Although the EU's approach is embarrassing, in the final analysis, it stems from the fear and hostility of Western countries towards China's new energy vehicle industry.
In the field of electric vehicles, Chinese companies have left their European and American competitors far behind by virtue of their cost and technological advantages. They have more advanced batteries and intelligence, and their production costs are at least 30% lower than those in Europe.
In the face of such a strong opponent, European and American companies are losing and retreating, and there is no way to fight back. Therefore, the only way to do this is to artificially set up tariff barriers with the help of policy means to try to prevent Chinese electric vehicles from taking root in Europe.
This practice undoubtedly not only protects the local industry, but also exposes their hostility and wariness towards the development of China's industry.
Obviously, the EU's move is only a microcosm, but it is actually the result of the influence and manipulation of the United States. Back in May, when the United States announced that it would impose punitive tariffs of up to 100% on Chinese electric vehicles after the collapse of a new round of trade talks between China and the United States.
As a loyal ally of the United States, the EU naturally wants to follow suit, launch a countervailing investigation against Chinese electric vehicle manufacturers, and make a decision to impose high tariffs.
It can be said that the EU's current behavior was completely instigated and pressured by the United States, and it was forced to make a posture of containing and suppressing China.
In essence, this is a microcosm of the new Cold War that the United States has intensified against China. Since the financial war has entered a stalemate stage, Washington can no longer promote the relevant policies of the financial war in a step-by-step manner.
The new Cold War will naturally intensify, and trade wars and technology wars will continue to escalate.
Against this backdrop, it is natural for the United States to join its allies in Europe and other allies to exert pressure on China to ensure that they can follow in the footsteps of the United States and confront China in the new Cold War pattern in the future.
The EU's decision to raise taxes on China's electric vehicles is a concrete practice of the West's grand strategy to contain China in the automotive field.
In fact, there are differences within the EU on this issue. As a traditional automotive powerhouse dominated by Germany, they still maintain a certain rationality.
If the tax on Chinese electric vehicles is raised too aggressively, the tens of billions of euros invested by the three major German car companies in China will also suffer a huge impact.
In contrast, countries such as France, where the auto industry is already on the verge of marginalization in China, have obvious anger towards China's electric vehicles. They did not hesitate to secretly manipulate it, and finally contributed to the decision to raise taxes on China.
In other words, it's more like an impatient overture from France's Macron and others to Washington.
However, this practice of stealing chickens and not living in Bengpu may also be difficult to achieve the expected results. The current suffering of the European people is far from being solved by electric vehicle tariffs.
A series of problems such as high inflation, energy crisis, and the Russia-Ukraine conflict are the urgent needs facing Europe at present.
In turn, the growth of China's electric vehicles in the global market is difficult to stop. Countries such as Australia and New Zealand, which were once the most expensive cars, have become the new blue ocean for Chinese EV brands, benefiting from their more affordable prices.
The EU's tariff hikes are nothing more than a double-edged sword against local consumers. If China retaliates against EU agricultural products, local farmers and food processors will only find themselves in a worse situation.
The EU's decision to raise taxes on China's electric vehicles has once again exposed the paranoia and hostility of Western countries towards China's industrial development.
On the surface, they are defending the interests of local industries, but on a deeper level, they are more like courtesy and credit to the US prime minister.
This short-sighted and selfish approach will not help, and Europe and the United States can neither stop nor intimidate China.
In the end, they will only pay a heavy price for this decision, which will further exacerbate their internal and external troubles.
(Source: Securities Times "The highest tax rate is 38.1%!") The EU will impose tariffs on China's electric vehicles", China Business News "The EU announced tariffs on China's electric vehicles, and many car companies responded solemnly")
