BRUSSELS -- Any tariffs imposed on Chinese electric vehicle imports to Europe could boomerang against European companies, officials at suppliers’ lobbying group CLEPA said.
The European Commission has opened an investigation into Chinese government subsidies and incentives for EVs, following concerns that European automakers could be facing unfair competition.
While the issue could be seen as a win for European consumers, a trade war with China set off by tariffs could hurt European industry, said Benjamin Krieger, the executive director of CLEPA.
Major automakers such as BMW and Mercedes-Benz both export cars to China and have assembly plants there, while Chinese domestic brands source components from Europe-based suppliers, which also have factories there.
“There is a lot of European technology in Chinese EVs,” Krieger said last week in Brussels at CLEPA’s annual Innovation Awards event, citing thermal management systems as an example.