EU decides on penalty tariffs on China's electric cars: Austria's position?

EU decides on penalty tariffs on China's electric cars: Austria's position?

In the next few days, the European attitude could choose punitive tariffs on electric cars from China. On Friday, the corresponding proposals are on the EU agenda, with a possible customs height of up to 36.3 percent. So far, Austria has been covered by how to find out on request for the status of the APA's coordination. In the summer, the Austrian Ministry of Economic Affairs had taken a neutral position.

Minister of Economics Martin Kocher (ÖVP) emphasizes the need for a “negotiation solution”. As a strong export -oriented country, Austria could suffer considerable economic disadvantages in the event of a war of retaliation in which custom -liable products come from abroad. Therefore, he advocates a dialogue with China to avoid a trade conflict.

The importance of the car supply industry

Austria's auto supply industry plays a central role in the national economy and employs more than 80,000 people in over 900 companies. This industry has a share of around ten percent of the total value creation in the property area, which corresponds to an annual production value of around 20 billion euros. The outstanding companies include Magna in Graz, the BMW plant in Steyr and also local sizes such as AVL List in Graz and Pierer Mobility in Mattighofen.

The German government also dealt with the topic. Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that he also relied on a negotiating solution with China and warned that a wrong response from the EU could damage its own economy. In the discussion there are different opinions, in particular the Association of the German Automotive Industry (VDA), which clearly spoke out against the tariffs. VDA President Hildegard Müller pointed out that such a vote would be a step backwards in global cooperation. Germany has to move into a clear position, and the possibility of abstention is not acceptable.

export and reactions in Europe

On the other hand, there are also EU countries that support the commission's plans. Countries such as France, Italy and the Baltic States are open to the additional tariffs, while Spain has argued against these measures in the past. These tariffs would not be new, since higher preliminary interest rates have to be stored as a security deposit for electric cars from China since July, as part of a comprehensive examination that the subsidized value chain has illuminated in China.

Currently, the customs sets for various Chinese manufacturers are between 17.4 and 37.6 percent, which is added to the existing tariffs of ten percent. Tesla has the highest number of admission on the Austrian electric car market, whereby around 25,000 vehicles were sold from 2020 to May 2024, of which around 10,000 were produced in China.

With these developments, Austria faces the challenge of positioning itself in a difficult trading environment. Experts' remarks that the trade dispute between China and the EU could also have negative effects on domestic farmers, stirring from an examination of China Contra Contra Subsidies for Dairy Products from Europe. It is therefore clear that the upcoming votes could have far -reaching consequences.

A deeper look at the growing debate is necessary because the market is increasingly responding to the price fluctuations. In September, over 33,000 euros were paid for the most important combustion models, which corresponds to an increase of over 10 percent compared to April. With electric cars, the price increase remains less than 4 percent.

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