Discussions on undertakings for electric vehicles in Beijing

A team of DG Trade officials travelled to Beijing for a week of intensive discussions with the Chinese Ministry of Commerce on a possible agreement on a price undertaking that would be an alternative to the countervailing duties currently in place for imports of battery electric vehicles from China.

There was technical progress on elements that will need to be addressed to ensure that a price undertaking would be equally effective and enforceable. Parties discussed constructively and in depth how to establish a minimum import price for such a complex product, as well as tools to monitor and enforce the undertaking. 

The EU side also emphasised that according to WTO rules the possibility to offer price undertakings is open to the different companies participating in investigation, and therefore the Commission’s negotiations with the China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Machinery and Electronic Products (CCCME) do not exclude discussions with individual exporters. 

The two sides agreed that discussions at technical level will continue next week, building on the progress made so far.