Despite objections from EU member states, the European Commission has taken the final decision to impose tariffs on Chinese-made electric vehicles, which China says is a misguided measure of trade protectionism.
A wrong EU decision would harm the interests of European consumers and hinder EU countries' green transformation plans, while undermining the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese automakers and potentially reducing their enthusiasm for investing in Europe.
The import duties are supposed to protect EU carmakers, but even European auto giants such as BMW and Mercedes-Benz are opposed to the measure.
The president of the German Association of the Automobile Industry, Hildegard Müller, said that the introduction of countervailing tariffs is a step backwards for global free trade, People's Daily Online reports.