According to sources in the United States, Politico** revealed that the United Kingdom is considering investigating China's subsidies to electric vehicle manufacturers due to concerns that Chinese electric vehicles may flood the British market, which is similar to the anti-subsidy investigation announced by the European Union in October last year to open for Chinese electric vehicles.
BYD.
It is reported that British automakers are urging the UK to speed up their own work, as they fear that if the EU imposes tariffs on Chinese car imports after the end of countervailing investigations later this year, the UK will see a large number of Chinese-made electric vehicles flowing into the UK market from the EU.
A senior person familiar with the plans of the British Ministry of Commerce** at a major British car manufacturer said that "the wheels have begun to turn" over the past few weeks. "We're working on some viable options behind the scenes," he revealed. ”
A consultant familiar with the scheme said the UK minister Kemi Badenoch was preparing to instruct the UK's regulator, the Relief Bureau (TRA), to investigate. Tra chief executive officer Oliver Griffiths said Kemi Badenoch had the authority to "request the initiation" of the investigation.
Griffiths told The Politico in a subsequent interview: "The expectation is that we will consider making an application. But the UK needs to "make sure there is appropriate data to back it up".
A spokesperson for the UK Department of Commerce said: "No request for an investigation has been made to DBT, but automakers should formally raise their concerns with the Relief Bureau before considering an investigation." ”
The European Parliament will hold elections in June, while the European Commission's investigation into Chinese electric vehicles is expected to conclude in the second half of this year. Mike Hawes, chief executive of the British automotive lobby group SMMT, said that if the EU investigation leads to protective tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, then the UK "will also be closely monitoring whether Chinese electric vehicle companies are acting similarly unfairly** in the UK".
Hawes said that due to the slowdown in China's economic growth, "automakers need export growth". With Chinese automakers focused on increasing their share of overseas markets, "you could see an influx of electric vehicles into the UK".
At the same time, the UK is looking to support its electric vehicle industry. Last year, the UK** pledged £2 billion to support companies such as Jaguar Land Rover, Nissan and BMW investing in electric vehicles and battery production in the UK.
However, any dispute could lead to retaliatory measures from China by British exporters. An executive at a major automaker said the UK was "almost somewhat hopeful they didn't have to make such a decision" and that "they are still exploring what they might be able to do".