Germany's Scholz "not convinced" about tariffs on Chinese EVs -Wirtschaftswoche


German Chancellor Olaf Scholz attends the weekly cabinet meeting in Berlin, Germany September 27, 2023. REUTERS/Liesa Johannssen/File photo

BERLIN (Reuters) - German Chancellor Olaf Scholz told business weekly Wirtschaftswoche that he was not convinced about the need to impose tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles (EV).

The European Commission is investigating whether it should impose punitive tariffs to protect European Union automakers from cheaper Chinese EV imports it says are benefiting from state subsidies.

"I am not very convinced of this, to put it politely," Scholz told Wirtschaftswoche in an interview published on Thursday.

"Our economic model should not be based or rely on protectionism - but on the attractiveness of our products."

He noted that there had been similar concerns when Japanese automakers entered the German market in the 1980s and also in the 1990s when South Korean companies came. "And yet we held our ground," he said.

(Reporting by Maria Martinez; Editing by Kirsten Donovan)

Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!

   

Next In Tech News

Sirius XM found liable in New York lawsuit over subscription cancellations
US Supreme Court tosses case involving securities fraud suit against Facebook
Amazon doubles down on AI startup Anthropic with $4 billion investment
Factbox-Who are bankrupt Northvolt's creditors?
UK should use new powers to probe Apple-Google mobile browser duopoly, report says
EU regulators scrap probe into Apple's e-book rules after complaint was withdrawn
Hyundai recalls over 145,000 electrified US vehicles on loss of drive power
'World of Warcraft' still going strong as it celebrates 20 years
Northvolt CEO steps down, saying group needs up to $1.2 billion
Bitcoin at record highs, sets sights on $100,000

Others Also Read