欧洲联盟上周五决定对中国进口的电动汽车加征高额关税，旨在保护对欧盟经济至关重要的行业，此举可能导致与重要贸易伙伴关系紧张。
这一决议涉及两大全球经济体之间数以十亿计美元的贸易往来，并凸显了欧盟内部利益相左的问题——一些成员国视中国为关键合作伙伴，而其他则将其视为潜在的竞争威胁。
加征的关税虽低于美国和加拿大实施的100%惩罚性税率，却显示了欧洲愿与美国加强合作，在对华经济政策上采取更为强硬的姿态，同时并未完全封堵与北京的所有对话渠道。
这一行动向外界传达的信息是，“欧盟正形成共识，需在经济领域对中国施加强烈反制”。诺亚·巴克林表示，他是一位德国马歇尔基金会高级研究员，并专注于欧洲与中国的关系研究。诺亚指出，加征的关税将于10月31日开始实施并持续5年，税率最高可达45%。
中欧双方正在协商以寻求替代解决方案，解决布鲁塞尔对中国汽车行业不公平竞争优势的关注问题，欧盟委员会在一份声明中表示，任何协议都必须符合世界贸易组织的规定。中国方面则强烈批评这一决定，并呼吁欧盟推迟关税执行，直到与中国的谈判继续进行。
中国政府表示对投票结果感到“极度失望”且对欧盟推行保护主义措施表示“严重不满”。它认为中国电动汽车的竞争优势来源于国内市场的激烈竞争而非补贴，而并非基于政府的直接补助。
欧洲官员指出，在双方达成解决问题协议的情况下，关税有可能在实施之后被取消或更改。美国拜登政府曾对联网的中国汽车和卡车可能构成国家安全风险表示担忧；然而，对于欧盟而言，更重要的是保护其汽车工业免受威胁。去年这一产业为欧洲提供了约1380万个工作岗位，占地区GDP的7%。
在德国，一个反对加征关税的国家之一，汽车行业及其政府担心此举可能会引发与中国的贸易争端。三大德国汽车制造商宝马、梅赛德斯-奔驰和大众均在中国有重大投资。
另一方面，有人认为此措施将促使中国汽车公司转向欧洲生产，为欧盟公民创造就业机会，并让其专长技术留在大陆。
中国的企业如奇瑞、雷鹏汽车等已与欧洲的汽车制造商建立合资企业，旨在在当地生产车辆。比亚迪作为中国的领先汽车生产商，正急切地在欧洲构建首个工厂，并与超过十多个欧洲国家的分销商合作，提供电动和混合动力车型销售服务。
新闻来源：www.nytimes.com
原文地址：Europe Votes to Raise Tariffs on Electric Cars From China
新闻日期：2024-10-04
原文摘要：
The European Union voted on Friday to impose higher tariffs on electric vehicles imported from China, risking tensions with an important trading partner in an effort to protect an industry crucial to Europe’s economy. The decision affects billions of dollars of trade between two of the world’s biggest economic powers. The move also reveals how the European Union is struggling to reconcile the conflicting interests of its members, some of whom see China as an essential partner while others view it as a dangerous competitor. The tariffs are much lower than the 100 percent duties imposed by the United States and Canada, but analysts said they reflected Europe’s willingness to build bridges with Washington by taking a tougher stance on China, but without shutting out Beijing entirely. The vote sends “a signal that there’s an emerging consensus in Europe that stronger pushback against China on the economic front is needed,” said Noah Barkin, a senior fellow at the German Marshall Fund who specializes in Europe’s relationship with China. The tariffs, which take effect on Oct. 31 and last for five years, go as high as 45 percent. But both European and Chinese officials have said they remain in negotiations to reach an agreement that would address Brussels’s concerns about unfair advantages enjoyed by automakers in China. “The E.U. and China continue to work hard to explore an alternative solution,” the commission said in a statement on Friday, adding that any deal would have to be within the rules set by the World Trade Organization. China, which had lobbied individual countries to reject the tariffs, on Friday criticized the vote and called for the European Commission to delay the implementation of the duties while negotiations between the two sides continue. China is the European Union’s second most important trading partner, after the United States. The China Chamber of Commerce to the European Union said in a statement that it was “deeply disappointed with the voting results and strongly dissatisfied with the E.U.’s push for trade protectionism measures.” It argued that the competitive advantages of Chinese electric vehicles stems not from subsidies, but from a supply chain that has developed through fierce market competition inside the country. European officials have said that the tariffs could be called off, or even reversed once implemented, should they reach an agreement with the Chinese that addresses their concerns about unfair advantages. The Biden administration has voiced concerns that internet-connected Chinese cars and trucks pose a national security risk because their operating systems could send sensitive information to Beijing, but Europeans are more concerned about protecting their automotive industry. Last year, that industry provided 13.8 million jobs and accounted for 7 percent of the region’s economic output. In Germany, which was one of only five countries that voted against imposing the tariffs, automakers and the government are concerned that the move could set off a trade war with China. Germany’s three biggest automakers, BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen, are all heavily invested in China. Others argue it will encourage the Chinese companies to shift their production to Europe, creating jobs for E.U. citizens and bringing their expertise to the continent. Chinese companies including Chery and Leapmotor have already set up joint ventures with automakers in Europe with an eye to producing cars there. BYD, China’s leading automaker, is racing to build its first factory in Europe, working with distributors across more than a dozen European countries to offer electric and hybrid models.
