China's Commerce Ministry has voiced strong objections against the European Union's decision to escalate tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, accusing Brussels of imposing unreasonable demands during its investigation into Chinese imports.
The EU plans to impose provisional tariffs ranging from 17.4% to 38.1% starting 4 July, citing concerns over alleged subsidies benefiting Chinese automakers.
Ministry spokesman He Yadong criticised the EU on Thursday for what he described as excessive information demands on Chinese companies, claiming the requirements surpassed standard anti-subsidy investigation norms.
"Chinese companies cooperated extensively, providing comprehensive details on manufacturing, technology, and product formulas," he stated, adding that despite this cooperation, the EU accused them of non-compliance and imposed punitive tariffs.
China refrained from announcing immediate retaliatory measures but reiterated its commitment to safeguarding the interests of Chinese enterprises.
Earlier this week, Beijing initiated an anti-dumping probe into European pork exports, although it did not explicitly link this to the EU's tariffs on electric vehicles.
The EU is the world's largest exporter of pork and pork by-products, most of which are bound to East Asia, in particular China.
The tariff escalation marks an intensification of the trade dispute rooted in EU concerns over Beijing's subsidies allegedly distorting fair competition in the electric vehicle sector.
