China and the European Union (EU) have made progress in negotiations on a proposed price compromise plan for Chinese electric vehicles, a spokesman for the Asian country’s Ministry of Commerce said.
Technical teams from China and the EU held five rounds of talks in Beijing from Nov. 2-7, engaging in in-depth discussions on the details of the plan that was submitted by the China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Machinery and Electronic Products, a portfolio spokesperson confirmed in an online statement in response to media questions.
The Chinese side believes that the overall progress of negotiations on the basis of the chamber’s plan, which has been proposed on behalf of the industry, will help maintain mutual trust, facilitate consensus building and resolve differences through consultations, so as to avoid an escalation of trade frictions, the spokesman said.
The two sides have agreed to continue negotiations through videoconferencing or other means, the official added.
You may also read: China Sues the EU for Electric Vehicle Tariffs
Trade Dispute
China sued the European Union (EU) before the dispute mechanism of the World Trade Organization (WTO) over tariffs imposed by the bloc on electric vehicles from the Asian giant, which came into force last week.
According to EFE news agency, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce informed that the complaint seeks to “safeguard the interests of the development of the electric vehicle industry and global cooperation on ‘green transformation’”.
China had already appealed last August to the WTO dispute mechanism over the preliminary measures taken by the EU in response to the subsidies received by Chinese electric car manufacturers, but this new complaint refers to the final measure to apply the tariffs.
