Faced with the rise of Chinese manufacturers, who offer very inexpensive electric cars, the European Union (EU) has launched an anti-subsidy investigation. Europe suspects China of helping its national manufacturers to charge ultra-aggressive prices to gain market share on the Old Continent. This investigation has already allowed the EU to establish a list of subsidies from which Chinese manufacturers would have benefited.
Visits to Chinese groups only
Reuters reports that the European Commission now plans to visit the sites of China’s largest manufacturers in the coming weeks. These visits should make it possible to verify the information communicated by the manufacturers. Inspectors will visit the sites of BYD, Geely and SAIC, two sources said, but not those of foreign manufacturers producing in China. Remember that the Tesla Model 3 and the Dacia Spring are, for example, assembled in the Middle Kingdom.
European Commission documents indicate that the investigation, which is expected to last a total of thirteen months, is still “initiation phase” and that the visits will be conducted by April 11, 2024. It could lead to measures aimed at countering Chinese subsidies, such as an increase in customs duties on models produced in China. Beijing had already denounced the protectionist nature of this investigation, and warned against the fact that it would have “a negative impact on economic and trade relations between China and the EU”.