Agreeing to hold consultations on tariffs, Beijing ready to negotiate

On June 22, Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao and European Union (EU) Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis agreed to hold consultations on the bloc's tariffs on imported electric vehicles made in the Northeast Asian country.

Chinese Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao. (Source: Reuters)

According to a press release from the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, Mr. Wang Wentao was invited to attend an online meeting with Mr. Dombrovskis.

Earlier the same day, during a meeting with German Vice Chancellor and Minister of Economy Robert Habeck, who was visiting China, Minister Wang Wentao declared that Beijing is ready to dialogue and consult on the issue of electric vehicles if the EU has the good will to sit at the negotiating table with a sincere attitude.

China's commerce minister said the country is willing to consider the legitimate concerns of both sides in a reasonable and professional manner to avoid escalating trade conflicts.

"Beijing hopes Berlin will play an active role in the EU, pushing the European side to reach an agreement with China. If the 27-member bloc maintains its stance, the world's second-largest economy will take necessary measures, including the possibility of filing a lawsuit under the World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute settlement mechanism," he said.

The EU has previously argued that China provides “generous” subsidies to domestic carmakers, giving them an unfair competitive advantage over European manufacturers.

For its part, Beijing has opposed the proposal, warning of a potential trade war as the Asian powerhouse's carmakers called for import duties on EU internal combustion engine vehicles.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/cang-thang-trung-quoc-eu-nhat-tri-to-chuc-tham-van-ve-thue-quan-bac-kinh-san-sang-dam-phan-275990.html