MNI BRIEF: EU Should Listen To EV Industry Voices - China

Beijing has called on the EU to consider industry voices and work with China to promote supply chain stability and the robust and green development of the automotive industry sector, officials at the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) told reporters on Thursday.

Authorities have strongly objected to the EU-initiated electric vehicle anti-subsidy investigation into China's electric cars and reminded reporters that the auto industries on both sides have a long history of successful cooperation.

Policy advisors recently told MNI China expects challenging negotiations to avoid a trade war with the EU over its EV exports, with officials in Beijing regarding France as taking a harder line in the talks than other member states such as Germany. (See MNI: France Deal Key To Avoid EU Trade War - China Advisor - Bonds & Currency News | Market News)

With regards to accusations over steel oversupply, the ministry noted China has historically maintained its export proportion of output at roughly 5%, lower than Japan and South Korea, and that China’s steel strategy was positioned on meeting domestic demand with firms trading in international markets under WTO rules.