The head of German carmaker Mercedes-Benz Ola Kellenius has called on the European Union (EU) to delay the imposition of tariffs on imports of Chinese electric vehicles. “We must be competitive at the international level. Then the transformation can be successful and the economy will grow in the long run. The new tariffs will not help us,”, Kellenius told Bild newspaper. At the same time, he stressed that what is needed is “more free trade, not new trade barriers”.
„For this reason, it is important to find a solution that is fair to both the EU and China,” said the Mercedes-Benz boss. He admitted that negotiations on this issue take time. “In order not to endanger them, the EU should postpone the introduction of the planned tariffs”, Kellenius concluded.
Last week, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen noted that negotiations with China “can and will continue beyond the day the countervailing duties come into effect”.
On October 4, the EU increased tariffs on Chinese electric cars, setting the maximum rate at 35%. China took this as an act of protectionism and announced retaliatory measures against European goods. In particular, on October 8, the Ministry of Commerce of the People's Republic of China announced an anti-dumping investigation of agricultural products from the European Union. Beijing is also considering the possibility of increasing tariffs on cars with large engine displacement from the association's member countries.