Filipe de Vasconcelos Fernandes, Counsel at VdA, was quoted in an article published by ECO entitled "Extra EU taxes on Chinese electric cars risk market disruption".

The article explains the European Commission's (EC) decision to impose new taxes on electric car imports produced in China, a decision that follows an investigation into subsidies given by the Chinese state to electric vehicle manufacturers in the country.

The EC's initiative aims to protect the European car industry but raises concerns about possible price increases and impacts on competition.

According to ECO, the proposed additional tax is, on average, 21 per cent, and could be as high as 38 per cent for manufacturers who have not cooperated with the European Commission's investigation. It was in this context that Filipe de Vasconcelos Fernandes clarified to ECO that "the values of the tariffs in question (...) may still be subject to change". The approval process is likely to be "quicker than in other areas", but Filipe de Vasconcelos Fernandes says that "whether the measure really makes sense" can still be discussed.

This measure could have consequences in terms of "inflation in the car market", concluded VdA's lawyer, adding that "I wouldn't rule out the possibility of there being an exploitation in the European market, a slight increase in prices".

 

Media: