Automotive News Europe — 2024-05-30
Automotive Industry
A ruling in the case will be delayed until after the European Parliament vote on 6-9 June 2024, sources told Reuters.
The European Commission will postpone its decision on Chinese electric vehicle tariffs until after the European Parliament election on 9 June 2024, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters.
The provisional tariffs, which were expected to be announced by 5 June 2024, would add billions of dollars in new costs for Chinese electric car makers.
The delay aims to keep the issue out of the election campaign phase, said German magazine Spiegel, which first reported the news.
The source told Reuters on Wednesday, 29 May 2024, that the new deadline was 10 June 2024, the day after election results are released, although they believed the change was related to a last minute technical issue with the document.
A European Commission spokesperson said the date was not confirmed yet.
Beijing calls for end to probe
In Beijing, China urged the commission to end the inquiry altogether, calling it "unreasonable" and not in line with international rules, the Chinese foreign ministry said on Thursday, 30 May 2024.
The investigation, officially launched on 4 October 2023 can last up to 13 months. The Commission can impose provisional anti-subsidy duties nine months after the start of the probe.
The Commission has warned three Chinese electric vehicle makers that they have not supplied sufficient information for the anti-subsidy investigation, two people familiar with the case told Reuters earlier in May 2024.