According to the nation’s official media, Chinese automakers have urged Beijing to levy import levies of up to 25% on rivals in the European Union in the event that the trade bloc places tariffs on Chinese-made automobiles.
The demand was reportedly made at a meeting that China’s Ministry of Commerce hosted behind closed doors, with participation from representatives of European automakers.
The EU’s huge petrol-powered cars would be the target of the regulations.
China’s manufacturers of electric vehicles (EVs) were warned last week by the EU of tariffs of up to 38% starting July 4.
Four Chinese and six European automakers attended the conference in Beijing, per a post on a social media platform linked to the official CCTV broadcaster.
Volkswagen, the massive German automaker, acknowledged to the news that it attended the conference but would not comment on the topics covered.
Porsche did not respond right away when contacted by the news, and BMW did not either.
“China’s car companies called on the government to adopt firm countermeasures against the EU,” according to the report.
