China warns the EU not to agree on vehicle prices with its manufacturers on its own

BEIJING Oct. 12 (DPA/EP) –

China’s Ministry of Commerce warned the European Union this Saturday to refrain from engaging in individual talks with car manufacturers on vehicle prices, in parallel with negotiations with Beijing on countervailing duties on car imports. Chinese electrics.

Such behavior, the Ministry said in a statement, “would shake the foundations of the negotiations and mutual trust,” given that “the Chinese side has demonstrated maximum sincerity and flexibility” in the talks.

The Ministry is taking the opportunity to ask the EU to send a delegation to China as soon as possible to continue with the next phase of consultations, after Brussels previously rejected a proposal from Beijing that electric cars produced in China be sold in Europe at a mandatory minimum price of 30,000 euros.

Beijing hoped this step would avoid the introduction of EU countervailing duties to offset government subsidies for Chinese electric vehicle production.

In early October, a vote among EU member states paved the way for tariffs on China’s electric cars. This means that the European Commission can decide to introduce tariffs of up to 35.3 percent.

For its part, China responded on Tuesday with a provisional measure against European brandy. According to the Ministry of Commerce, brandy importers will have to pay a deposit of 30.6 percent to 39 percent of the value of the goods to Chinese customs. The European Commission responded that it would take action against the measure at the World Trade Organization (WTO).