China on Monday again warned the European Union that the bloc’s holding separate negotiations with electric vehicle manufacturers during its talks with Beijing would “shake mutual trust” and affect the broader negotiations.
The Chinese Ministry of Commerce issued a similar warning earlier this month, but this iteration comes days after China and the European Union agreed to hold further technical negotiations on potential alternatives to tariffs on Chinese-made electric cars.
The two sides made it clear that adhering to a minimum price would remain the solution to the dispute, and the ministry said that the next phase of consultations had begun. “We welcome the EU team to come to China as soon as possible,” Beijing said last Friday.
Additional fees
The European Union is scheduled to impose additional customs duties of 35.3% next week on electric vehicles produced in China, at the conclusion of an investigation into addressing government subsidies, but said that talks may continue after that.
The two sides are exploring the possibility of obtaining minimum price commitments from Chinese producers or investments in Europe as an alternative to tariffs.
The European Commission, which oversees trade policy for the 27-nation European Union, has already held eight rounds of technical negotiations with Chinese parties, and said there are still “major gaps.”
