By Philip Blenkinsop
BRUSSELS (Reuters) -France, Greece, Italy and Poland will vote on Friday for tariffs of up to 45% on imports of electric vehicles (EVs) made in China, officials and sources said, enough to get the European Union proposal passed in a move likely to increase trade tensions with Beijing.
The European Commission, which is conducting an anti-subsidy investigation into EVs made in China, has sent its proposal for final tariffs to the EU’s 27 member states ahead of a vote expected on Friday.
Under EU rules, the Commission can impose final or “definitive” tariffs for the next five years unless a qualified majority of 15 EU countries representing 65% of the EU’s population votes against the plan.
France, Greece, Italy and Poland will vote in favour, officials and sources of those countries said. Together, they represent 39% of the EU population.
The Commission can also submit a new, amended proposal if it chooses.
The EU executive has said it is willing to continue negotiating an alternative to tariffs with China and could re-examine a price undertaking – involving a minimum import price and typically a volume cap – having previously rejected those offered by Chinese companies.
One option under negotiation is minimum import prices calculated using criteria such as the range, battery performance and length of the electric vehicle, along with whether it is two- or four-wheel drive, a source familiar with the matter said.
An alternative is a commitment to investment in the EU, with quotas for a transitional period.
The tariffs range from 7.8% for Tesla to 35.3% for SAIC and other companies deemed not to have cooperated with the EU investigation. These tariffs are on top of the EU’s standard 10% import duty for cars.
(Reporting by Philip Blenkinsop, Leigh Thomas, Lefteris Papadimos, Giuseppe Fonte, Victoria WalderseeEditing by Peter Graff, Elaine Hardcastle)
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