The European Union is considering restricting the import of Chinese hybrid cars, with a proposed initial import quota of 350,000 vehicles in the first year, increasing by 6% annually for a period of 4 years. The measure could be implemented as early as December 1, although the plan is still under discussion and has not been officially approved.
According to a report by Bloomberg on Sunday, the EU is studying a new scheme to limit car imports in response to the rapid growth of Chinese hybrid cars in the European market. Documents obtained by Bloomberg indicate that the EU is considering adopting an import quota system to control the number of related vehicles entering the European market.
Under the current proposal, the quota for the first year is set at 350,000 vehicles, with a 6% increase each subsequent year. Based on this calculation, the quota for the second year would be around 371,000 vehicles, 393,260 vehicles for the third year, and 416,856 vehicles for the fourth year. The plan still requires internal discussions and approvals within the EU.
Previously, the EU imposed anti-subsidy tariffs on pure electric cars manufactured in China, but hybrid cars were not included. In recent years, the sales of ordinary hybrid and plug-in hybrid cars manufactured in China have surged in Europe.
According to a report by The Guardian on September 24, sales of Chinese-manufactured ordinary hybrid cars in the EU market were only 659 units in 2022, but had reached 166,620 units in the first seven months of this year. During the same period, the sales of Chinese-manufactured plug-in hybrid cars also significantly increased, from 56,706 units for the entire year of 2022 to 217,764 units in the first seven months of this year.
EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič visited Beijing last week and held talks with Chinese Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao on issues including automotive trade. The EU hopes to reduce the trade deficit with China, which currently averages over 1 billion euros per day.
EU leaders are set to meet in Brussels this Thursday (October 15) to discuss the issue of hybrid car imports and how to address the impact of the influx of low-priced Chinese goods on European industries.