Tesla Gets Lowest Duty on China-made Cars Exported to EU
Tesla will be subject to a 9% tariff on its Chinese-made vehicles exported to the European Union, the European Commission announced in an update on its extensive investigation into Beijing’s “unfair” subsidies for electric vehicles (EVs). This levy is significantly lower than the 21.3% average tariff imposed on companies that cooperated with the EU investigation and the 36.3% on those that did not. Tesla’s lower rate comes after the California-based company requested individual treatment during the broader inquiry by Brussels. These new tariffs, which are considerably less severe than the 100% tariffs imposed by the U.S., will be in addition to the EU’s existing 10% duty on Chinese EVs. EU officials who visited Tesla’s Shanghai operations in June determined that the company had benefited from Chinese state subsidies, particularly through below-cost batteries, as well as cheap land and grants for exporters. The 9% tariff is expected to take effect by October 31, pending approval f...