BEIJING (Reuters) – German Economy Minister Robert Habeck told Chinese officials in Beijing on Saturday that the European Union’s proposed tariffs on Chinese goods were not a “punishment”.
Habeck is the first visit by a senior European official to China since Brussels proposed imposing steep tariffs on imports of Chinese-made electric vehicles (EVs) to combat what the EU sees as excessive subsidies.
China warned on Friday ahead of his arrival that escalating friction with the European Union over electric vehicles could trigger a trade war.
“It is important to understand that these are not punitive tariffs,” Harbeck told the first plenary session of the Climate and Transition Dialogue.
Countries such as the United States, Brazil and Turkey have already introduced punitive tariffs, but the EU has not, the economy minister said. “Europe is doing things differently.”
Habeck said that for nine months, the European Commission had scrutinized whether Chinese companies had unfairly benefited from subsidies.
He said any countervailing duty measures resulting from the EU review “are not punitive”, adding that such measures were intended to compensate Beijing for the advantages it gave Chinese companies.
Habeck said during a meeting with Zheng Shanjie, director of China’s National Development and Reform Commission, that the EU’s proposed tariffs aim to create a level playing field with China.
Zheng responded: “We will do everything we can to protect Chinese companies.”
