China Protests US EV and Battery Tariff Hikes as "WTO Rules Violation"

The Biden administration in the United States has decided to significantly increase tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles (EVs), batteries, semiconductors, and solar cells ahead of the November election, prompting China to oppose the move, claiming that the U.S. has violated World Trade Organization (WTO) rules.

Wang Wenbin, spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated at a regular briefing on the 14th before the U.S. announcement was made public, "China wants to make it clear that it has consistently opposed unilateral additional tariffs that violate WTO rules."

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

Spokesperson Wang added, "We will take all necessary measures to safeguard our legitimate rights and interests."

U.S. President Joe Biden directed the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) to raise these tariffs under Section 301 of the Trade Act, citing the need to respond to China's unfair trade practices.

The detailed measures include ▲ Chinese-made EVs from 25% to 100% (within this year) ▲ lithium-ion EV batteries from 7.5% to 25% (within this year) ▲ lithium-ion non-EV batteries from 7.5% to 25% (by 2026) ▲ battery components from 7.5% to 25% (within this year), among others.

Among critical minerals, tariffs on natural graphite and permanent magnets will rise from the current 0% to 25% by 2026. Other critical minerals will face significantly increased tariffs from 0% this year to 25%.

The U.S. will also raise tariffs on certain Chinese steel and aluminum products from the current 0?7.5% to 25% within this year. Tariffs on solar cells will be uniformly increased from 25% to 50%, regardless of whether the solar cell modules are assembled.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.