Before reading this article, I sincerely invite you to click the "Follow" button, so that you can continue to push such articles in the future, and it is also convenient for you to discuss and share, your support is the driving force for us to insist on creating~
Opening statement: The content of this article is written with authoritative sources combined with personal opinions, and the source and screenshot of the literature have been marked at the end of the article, please be aware.
#长文创作激励计划#近几年, Chinese-made electric vehicles have become "hot models" abroad: Great Wall, Chery, BYD, these civilian cars that were once unpopular in China, but in many European United States have become fragrant and sweet.
The best-selling of electric cars in China has had an impact on some old European car brands.
In the face of this situation, the monopolistic EU will naturally not sit idly by, and in early July this year, the EU proposed to raise import taxes to limit the market for Chinese trams in Europe.
The Chinese side has also reacted quickly to the EU's attitude by taking countermeasures. But within the EU, there are variables.
At the time of the vote, there was a huge difference of opinion among EU countries: 12 countries were in favor, 11 countries abstained, and four countries firmly opposed the proposed tax hike.
Why are there disagreements between the EU? Is it because there is also a conflict of interest within them, or is China's "countermeasures" still working?
Who's for and who's against
On July 4, the European Union officially announced that it would impose tariffs on China's major tram brands.
Among them, BYD was subject to tariffs as high as 38%, but the tariffs on other brands were only 10%, which shows the rejection of Chinese trams by EU countries.
Within the EU, however, there is considerable disagreement over whether to pass the bill.
According to statistics, the main countries that voted in favor of the tariffs on Chinese trams were Italy, France, Spain and other countries; Hungary, Austria and other countries voted against; In addition, Sweden, Finland, Germany and other countries have abstained.
Who will be in favor and who will be against, in fact, we can think of it a long time ago. To predict the attitude of each country towards this matter, one need only look at the structure of their foreign trade.
Why are France, Italy, Spain and other countries in favor of imposing tariffs on Chinese trams? There is no other reason for this, but because for these import-oriented countries, tariffs on Chinese trams can bring them tariff revenues.
Conversely, countries such as Hungary and Austria voted against because their economies, as small European countries, are almost entirely dependent on exports. For them, the tax hike means offending China, a "big customer", and their own economy will inevitably be greatly affected.
Although Germany, Sweden and other countries that chose to abstain from voting are relatively large, they also maintain a wait-and-see attitude because the export economy accounts for a relatively large proportion of the national economy.
It can be seen that at all times, national interests are always the dominant factor in the country's foreign policy. Whether they are in favor of or against the "restriction of Chinese tram exports to Europe" is a consideration of each country's own interests.
In particular, Germany, as a long-established European automobile producer, although it abstained, but in action, it is the most active country in recommending that the EU remove tariff restrictions.
The reason behind this is very clear: although China's electric car imports have affected the local sales of local German brands to a certain extent, Germany cars have also been China's "best-sellers".
For example, Volkswagen and BMW have also achieved high recognition in the Chinese market.
The Chinese market is responsible for 1/3 of Germany's car sales every year, and Germany naturally does not want to get too stiff with China's "old customer". Once the restrictions proposed by the EU are implemented, they will undoubtedly deal a huge blow to Germany's car export industry.
Regarding his abstention, a Germany official explained: "We are only doing this to maintain 'critical solidarity' among EU countries, and we are more willing to seek a common opinion with China than to restrict Chinese tram exports." ”
Among EU countries, the country with the highest opposition to this matter is Hungary. On July 10, Hungary's economy minister made it very clear that the Hungary government was "firmly opposed" to the EU proposal.
In addition to Hungary, several other small countries have also made clear their opposition to the EU proposal. For them, the risk of a trade war with China is far more serious than the decline in sales of European car brands.
However, despite the large number of countries that voted against, the proposal will still be implemented under the current voting situation.
Why?
The crisis is coming, and how China will counter it
Speaking of which, we have to first understand how the EU works. To prevent an EU resolution from coming into force, two prerequisites must be met:
1. The number of countries that explicitly voted against must reach 15 or more. 2. The countries that oppose the resolution must have a combined population of 65% or more of the entire European Union.
The total population of the 11 countries in favor of imposing tariffs on China has exceeded 50% of the entire European Union, especially France, Italy and Spain, which are the most populous countries in the European Union, and the combined population of these three countries has accounted for more than 40%.
In other words, if the vote remains the same before the proposal is passed, it is likely that restricting Chinese tram exports to Europe will become a reality.
The crisis faced by Chinese trams in the European market is getting closer and closer. How has China responded to this crisis?
You know, in the face of a "trade war" abroad, China has never been afraid.
In fact, the EU is not a precedent for imposing tariffs on Chinese trams. In fact, as early as more than two months ago, United States had already taken very tough measures to restrict the export of Chinese trams to the United States.
Tesla, which United States, is undoubtedly the leading brand in the electric car industry. However, after the United States of China's tram "expedition", it still had a big impact on Tesla.
In 2023 alone, China sold more than 7 million trams in the United States, Tesla's "home turf".
Tesla is not happy, and the United States government is even more unhappy. So, in May this year, the United States also used the same means as the European Union: raising taxes to force China to withdraw from the United States market.
And the United States is much stronger than the European Union, raising taxes by a terrifying 100%. The United States is in a hurry, but Chinese car companies are methodical and continue to sell in the United States.
And after the tax increase, the sales of Chinese trams in the United States have increased instead of decreasing.
However, with the idea of "not putting all your eggs in one basket", Chinese tram companies still decided to take the sword and focus more on the European market. Before it has been strengthened, the EU is afraid.
Two days after the EU issued the sanctions proposal, China's Ministry of Commerce's "countermeasures" came into being. To sanction European countries is simply too simple for China. Unlike United States, European countries, which are currently facing an "energy crisis", are too afraid that China will "stuck" them on equipment.
The EU wants to restrict China's tram imports, and China's response is to thoroughly investigate the "trade barriers" set up by the EU in photovoltaic, wind power and other areas of cooperation with China.
At present, European countries are facing serious energy shortages. In the previous Russian-Ukrainian war, the EU was already very unhappy with Russia. In this situation, changing the energy structure has become the number one issue for European countries.
Traditional energy sources are unsustainable, and various European countries are committed to the development of clean energy. And almost all of their wind energy and photovoltaic equipment are imported from China.
In March, Germany's economy ministry issued a statement saying that European countries' dependence on China's clean energy equipment was "huge". Now, China's countermeasures are enough for the EU to carefully weigh the pros and cons between "market" and "energy".
epilogue
In the final analysis, why is it difficult for both the United States and the European Union to restrict the "entry" of Chinese trams?
One is that Chinese trams are indeed inexpensive. Even Tesla, which has always been known as the "industry benchmark", is completely incomparable with Chinese electric cars in terms of performance and pricing.
Second, for the EU, if it wants to restrict China's tram imports, it must either establish its own leading tram company, or get rid of its dependence on China for energy and equipment. Tram manufacturing is a typical energy-intensive industry, so for the EU, both are empty talk.
Under the general trend of trade globalization and production globalization, the EU is sailing against the current, and it will only end up with "no man and ship" after all.
Resources:
China News Network: National Development and Reform Commission: EU restrictions on China's electric vehicles will exacerbate its dependence on fossil fuels
Global Times: British media: The EU is divided on whether to impose tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, and now 11 abstentions
The Paper: The EU held a consultative vote on whether to raise taxes on Chinese trams: 4 countries opposed and 11 countries abstained