Brussels, March 5 (Reuters) - The European Commission plans to begin customs registration of electric vehicles (EVs) imported from China, meaning that if the EU's ** investigation later concludes that they are receiving unfair subsidies, then they could be hit by tariffs from that point on.
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The European Commission is conducting a countervailing investigation into Chinese electric vehicles to determine whether tariffs will be imposed to protect EU producers. Although the EU is likely to impose temporary tariffs in July, the investigation will conclude in November. The European Commission said in a document released on Tuesday that there is enough evidence that Chinese electric vehicles are being subsidized, with imports up 14% year-on-year since the investigation was officially launched in October. If Chinese imports continue to be imported at such a rapid pace before the end of the investigation, EU producers could suffer damage that would be difficult to repair, the report said. Registration will begin the day after the program is published in the official journal of the European Union, which is likely to be in the coming days. The European Union Chamber of Commerce in China said it was disappointed by the move, with the surge in imports reflecting the growing demand for electric vehicles in Europe.