The European Union's decision to impose tariffs of up to 45 percent on Chinese electric cars has sparked outrage on both sides - in China and Europe. Both sides have expressed concern that the move will damage the competitiveness of the European car industry and are calling for a negotiated solution.
The Chinese Ministry of Commerce has strongly criticised the EU decision, calling it an unfair and unjustified protectionist practice that will undermine the confidence of Chinese businesses and weaken their willingness to invest in Europe.
Similar concerns have been expressed by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, which promotes dialogue and negotiations between China and the EU with a view to reaching a win-win solution.
On the European side, car companies also reacted to the decision. The German Association of the Automotive Industry described the EU move as a further move away from global cooperation. Companies such as Volkswagen, BMW and Mercedes warn that these measures will jeopardise the competitiveness of the European car industry in the long term.
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