A few days ago, the European Commission officially issued an announcement that it decided to impose temporary countervailing duties on electric vehicles imported from China from July 4 this year. The measure covers major Chinese EV companies, including BYD, Geely Holding and SAIC. The specific tariffs are 17.4% for BYD, 20% for Geely Holdings, and 38.1% for SAIC. In addition, other Chinese EV companies that cooperate with the survey but are not sampled will face a weighted average tax rate of 21%. Combined with the 10% tariffs imposed by the European Union on imported cars, Chinese automakers as a whole will face tariffs of up to 48.1%.
This news has undoubtedly aroused widespread attention and discussion in China and Europe. At a regular press conference on June 20, He Yadong, a spokesman for China's Ministry of Commerce, made it clear that the EU has asked Chinese companies to provide a lot of detailed information during its countervailing investigation of Chinese electric vehicle companies, including battery composition, formulations and electric vehicle production costs. The type, scope and amount of this information collected far exceeded the requirements of the countervailing investigation, which made Chinese companies feel extremely unfair.
On June 19 of the same month, the China Chamber of Commerce in the European Union and the Shanghai headquarters of Xinhua News Agency, China Economic Information Agency, jointly hosted the China-EU Entrepreneurs Roundtable Forum and the launch of the "Green Europe - Report on the Development of Chinese New Energy Vehicle Enterprises in Europe" in Brussels, Belgium. On this occasion, Yuan Yingchen, vice president of SAIC Motor Europe, publicly questioned and opposed the EU's decision. Yuan Yingchen sternly pointed out at the forum: "I think this is very unfair, unfair to Chinese car companies, unfair to the spirit of free trade that the EU has been advocating, unfair to European users, and even unfair to dealer groups and friends." ”
Yuan Yingchen's fierce speech not only expressed SAIC's position, but also ignited a unanimous resistance among Chinese electric vehicle companies. It can be said that after Huawei, SAIC has become a new target in the eyes of the European Union. So, in the face of such a grim situation, what strategies have SAIC and other Chinese automakers adopted?
First of all, SAIC did not choose to passively accept the high tariffs of the EU, but quickly adjusted its market strategy. SAIC Motor has put forward a series of plans to continue to maintain and strengthen its competitiveness in the European market by strengthening brand marketing, expanding sales outlets and optimizing after-sales service. SAIC Motor plans to strengthen cooperation with local European companies to enhance local production capacity through technology sharing and joint development to reduce the impact of tariffs.
Secondly, SAIC actively seeks multi-party cooperation and resource integration to improve its technology and product level. On the one hand, SAIC has increased its R&D investment, especially in electric vehicle batteries and intelligent driving technology, hoping to win the favor of European users with more competitive products. On the other hand, SAIC Motor is exploring cooperation with local supporting enterprises in Europe to create a more localized supply chain system to improve production efficiency and reduce costs, and further enhance market competitiveness.
At the same time, SAIC also defends its rights and interests through legal and diplomatic channels. It is reported that the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers and SAIC Motor have begun to seek the help of legal counsel to prepare for legal challenges against the EU's decision. In addition, SAIC has also reported the situation to the Chinese government through multiple channels and sought support and coordination at the national level.
In the face of this series of challenges, SAIC has also launched a comprehensive self-examination and reform within the group. Internally, SAIC has strengthened its corporate management and risk control system, and improved its operational efficiency and risk response capabilities. At the same time, SAIC pays more attention to the rules and dynamics of the international market, hoping to win the trust and support of the international community through more standardized and transparent operations.
The efforts of Chinese automakers are not just a simple market reaction, but a broader strategic layout related to the entire industrial chain and the economic relationship between China and Europe. In the future, Chinese automakers will pay more attention to technological innovation, brand building and international cooperation in the face of more uncertainties and challenges. In this process, the company's own innovation ability and market adaptability will become the key.
To sum up, although the EU's high tariff policy on Chinese electric vehicle companies has brought great pressure to enterprises, it has also become an opportunity for Chinese car companies to improve their own capabilities and optimize their market strategies. Finally, in the face of uncertainties in the EU-China trade relationship, businesses and policymakers should remain calm and proactive and seek win-win solutions. This will not only help the long-term development of enterprises, but also promote the healthy development of China-EU economic cooperation. If you have any thoughts or suggestions on this topic, please share your thoughts in the comments section.