Spanish PM urges EU to reconsider tariffs on Chinese EVs

KUNSHAN, China: Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Wednesday the European Union should reconsider proposed import tariffs on Chinese-made electric vehicles, and urged Brussels and Beijing to find a compromise that avoids a trade war.

Sanchez’s comments during a visit to China suggest a change of tack from Spain, which until now has supported the tariffs, while signalling concern about the impact any potential fallout from the EU-China trade spat could have on Spanish industry.

“I have to be frank, we have to reconsider our position, all of us. Not only the member states but also the (European) Commission,” Sanchez said at an event in an industrial park in the Chinese city of Kunshan.

“We don’t need another war, in this case a trade war. I think we need to build bridges between the European Union and China, and from Spain we will be constructive and try to find a compromise between China and the European Commission.”

The European Commission did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.Chinese President Xi Jinping urged Sanchez on Monday to play a “constructive role” in improving strained ties between Beijing and Brussels.

EU member states are due to vote in October on whether to adopt additional duties of as much as 36.3 per cent on Chinese EVs, a threat that China has countered by launching anti-dumping investigations into imports of pork and dairy from Europe.