No 10 Leaves the Door Open to Tariffs on Chinese Electric Cars
Downing Street says it would “welcome the objective” of including Britain in the EU’s Made in Europe scheme after France dropped its opposition, but a Franco-German proposal would require the UK to align dynamically with EU trade defences, including tariffs on Chinese EVs. No 10 called it “premature to speculate” on terms. China’s embassy said it was “firmly opposed to any discriminatory practice”.
Chinese EVs face only the standard 10% import duty in Britain, while the EU adds manufacturer-specific duties of up to 35.3%. They are selling fast: BYD’s UK sales rose 78% year on year in September. The industry calculation cuts both ways, since about 80% of UK-made cars are exported, more than half to the EU and 6% to China. Liam Byrne, chairman of the business committee, calls tariffs “a small price to pay”, and warns: “Our China strategy is simply not where it needs to be.” Imposing tariffs could take more than a year; EU lawmakers expect to finalise the legislation by the end of this year or early 2027.