According to the news on the website of the Ministry of Commerce on October 12, it was reported that China and the EU have carried out more than 20 days of consultations on the EU electric vehicle countervailing case, and the Chinese team has returned to China today.
In response to a reporter's question, the spokesperson of the Ministry of Commerce said that on September 19, Wang Wentao, Minister of Commerce, held talks with Dombrovskis, Executive Vice President of the European Commission and Trade Commissioner, and the two sides agreed to continue to promote the negotiation of the EU's price commitment agreement on the countervailing of electric vehicles against China, and strive to reach a mutually acceptable solution through friendly dialogue and consultation.
The spokesperson revealed that in the more than 20 days since September 20, the Chinese and European technical teams have conducted eight rounds of intensive consultations in Brussels. As a result of arduous efforts, the two sides have made important progress in a number of areas. China fully listened to the demands and opinions of the Chinese and EU industries, and put forward pragmatic and constructive solutions to the specific concerns of the EU side on many occasions during the consultations, demonstrating the utmost sincerity and flexibility. Regrettably, however, the EU has not responded positively to issues that involve the core concerns of the Chinese and EU industries, and there are still major differences between the two sides, and so far, the negotiations have not reached a mutually acceptable solution.
The spokesperson said that it should be emphasized that China's attitude and sincerity in seeking a solution through dialogue and consultation have not changed, and it has formally invited the European side to send a technical team to China as soon as possible to continue the next stage of face-to-face consultations, and has made all preparations for this. It is hoped that the EU side will work with China in the same direction, arrange a visit to China as soon as possible, and accelerate consultations in a constructive manner, so as to reach an appropriate solution at an early date.
China will take all measures to firmly safeguard the interests of Chinese enterprises
On the 4th of this month, representatives of EU member states voted to approve the final draft of the EU electric vehicle countervailing case submitted by the European Commission, proposing to impose final countervailing duties on electric vehicles originating in China.
In response, the spokesperson said that China's position on the EU's countervailing duty on China's electric vehicles is consistent and clear, and China firmly opposes the EU's unfair, non-compliant and unreasonable protectionist practices in this case, and resolutely opposes the EU's imposition of countervailing duties on China's electric vehicles.
The spokesperson said that China's electric vehicles adhere to market-leading and full competition, and through continuous independent innovation, they have increased the high-quality supply of green public goods in the world, and made important contributions to the global response to climate change. The EU's protectionist practices have seriously violated WTO rules and disrupted the normal international trade order, which not only hindered China-EU trade and investment cooperation, delayed the EU's own green transformation process, but also affected the global joint efforts to deal with climate change.
The spokesperson also said that the Chinese side hopes that the EU side will be soberly aware that the imposition of tariffs will not solve any problems, but will only shake and hinder the confidence and determination of Chinese enterprises in investing and cooperating with Europe. China urges the EU to truly demonstrate its political will and take concrete actions to return to the right track of resolving trade frictions through consultations. China will also take all measures to firmly safeguard the interests of Chinese enterprises.
Liang Ming, director and researcher of the Foreign Trade Research Institute of the Ministry of Commerce Research Institute, said in an interview with the first financial reporter that in recent years, the world economic recovery has been weak, the evolution of major changes unseen in a century has accelerated, and global trade protectionism has continued to spread. China has long been the primary target of trade remedy investigations. As the world's largest trading country, it has constantly encountered trade frictions from other economies, which has become a "new normal" in the process of economic development on the mainland.
Liang Ming said that judging from past cases, judging from the negotiation and agreement, the final conclusion of the case is varied, and it is based on the characteristics of each case itself and is different, and there is no unified model that can be copied. The negotiation process will be arduous and long-term, and China will not prejudge the outcome of the negotiations, nor will it make compromises that should not be made, and will not make concessions on major issues involving the interests of the country and enterprises.
Cui Fan, a professor at the School of International Economics and Trade of the University of International Business and Economics, told the first financial reporter that China is the world's largest exporter of goods and the largest manufacturing country. However, these frictions have not fundamentally hindered the development of China's foreign trade. In recent years, the proportion of the mainland's foreign trade in the world has generally increased. For China, it should further implement the strategy of becoming a trade power, insist on winning by quality, and at the same time deepen domestic reforms, optimize the competition order, climb to the middle and high end of the global value chain, and reverse the situation of increasing increments but not increasing profits. It is necessary to rely on the large domestic market, adhere to the concept of innovative development, accelerate the construction of a new development pattern, and form new advantages in international competition.
If the EU negotiates separately with some companies, it will cause interference
According to relevant reports, the European Commission is separately negotiating price commitments with some companies on the EU EV countervailing case.
In this regard, the spokesperson said that the Ministry of Commerce has taken note of relevant reports. It should be stressed that China has been conducting dialogue and consultation with the EU side with the utmost sincerity and goodwill. In our view, different types of Chinese companies, including those with European capital in China, have authorized the China Chamber of Commerce for Mechanical and Electrical Engineering to propose a price commitment that represents the overall position of the industry, which is the basis for the current EU-China negotiations. If the EU negotiates with the Chinese side while holding separate negotiations on price commitments with some enterprises, it will shake the foundation and mutual trust of the negotiations, interfere with the consultations between the two sides, and is not conducive to advancing the overall process of the consultations. China hopes that the EU will fully demonstrate its sincerity, take seriously the core concerns of the industry, and reach a mutually acceptable solution on the basis of the current consultations as soon as possible.
According to the statement issued by the China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Machinery and Electronic Products last month, since the case was filed, the China Chamber of Commerce has led Chinese electric vehicle companies to actively cooperate with the European Commission's investigation, submitted industry defense opinions many times, participated in hearings and held press conferences, deeply expressed China's position and concerns, and carried out face-to-face communication and dialogue with relevant automotive industry business associations in Europe, Germany, France, Italy and Spain, and many EU member states and related enterprises and organizations have also made it clear that they hope to strengthen cooperation with China for mutual benefit and win-win results.
According to the chamber of commerce, after the disclosure of the final ruling, the China Chamber of Commerce for Mechanical and Electrical Industry coordinated 12 enterprises to submit a price commitment plan within the specified time limit in accordance with the requirements of the investigation procedure of this case, which fully considered the characteristics of the case and the European Commission's previous commitment practice, paid attention to the demands of the European side, was fully compliant, and met the requirements of the European side that were equally effective, enforceable and supervisable with taxation, and at the same time showed maximum flexibility.
According to the Ministry of Commerce, on September 12, local time, a spokesman for the European Commission said that the price commitment solution submitted by the China Chamber of Commerce for Mechanical and Electrical Appliances and all electric vehicle manufacturers on the EU electric vehicle countervailing case did not meet the requirements, and the European side intends to reject the relevant price commitment application.
In this regard, the Chamber of Commerce said that the European side did not have in-depth communication with the Chinese side, nor did it give any specific countermeasures, but directly rejected the Chinese proposal. At present, the China Chamber of Commerce for Mechanical and Electrical Industry has commented on the European Commission's letter of refusal of commitment, and at the same time, with the utmost sincerity in resolving economic and trade frictions through dialogue and consultation, the coordinated enterprises have submitted a revised price commitment plan to the European Commission, which further considers the concerns of the European Commission.
The Chamber of Commerce strongly calls on the European Commission to uphold an open and cooperative attitude, seriously consider the price commitment plan submitted by the Chinese side, and work with the Chinese side to improve the confidence and commercial feasibility of enterprises to invest in Europe, support the comprehensive cooperation between the Chinese and European automotive industries, and work together to promote the healthy development of the global electric vehicle industry chain and achieve the goal of carbon neutrality.
(This article is from Yicai)
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