On Tuesday, the European Union announced a reduction in the planned tariffs on Tesla vehicles imported from China, lowering the rate from 20.8% to 9%.
Additionally, the EU has also decreased import duties for
several other Chinese electric vehicle manufacturers.
In June, the EU had indicated its intention to impose higher
tariffs on Chinese electric vehicle imports, citing concerns that these
vehicles benefit significantly from unfair subsidies and pose a potential
economic threat to European EV manufacturers.
The European Commission, which serves as the EU's executive
body, reached a preliminary conclusion that the value chain for
battery-electric vehicles in China is heavily subsidized unfairly, leading to
the recommendation of provisional countervailing duties on these imports.
On Tuesday, the Commission revealed its draft decision to
implement definitive countervailing duties on battery electric vehicles from
China.
Following feedback from stakeholders regarding the proposed
tariffs, the regulatory body stated it would make minor adjustments to the duty
rates based on valid comments received about the provisional measures.
As a result, Tesla's electric vehicles manufactured in China
will now incur a 9% import duty to the EU, a significant decrease from the
previously anticipated 20.8% rate outlined in a prior decision in July.
Following this announcement, Tesla's shares experienced a 1% increase in
premarket trading in the U.S.
The EU's decision to assign Tesla a reduced individual duty
rate as a Chinese exporter comes after the company made a formal request for a
recalibration of the tariffs to account for specific subsidies it receives in
China. Tesla did not provide immediate comments when approached by CNBC on
Tuesday.
Other manufacturers, such as BYD, saw their tariff rates
adjusted from 17.4% to 17%, Geely from 19.9% to 19.3%, and SAIC from 37.6% to
36.3%. BYD, Geely, and SAIC have not yet responded to requests for comment.
The Commission announced that companies collaborating with
the EU in its inquiry regarding China's substantial subsidies for electric
vehicles will incur tariffs of 21.3%.
This rate exceeds the 20.8% that cooperating companies would
have been subject to under the EU's earlier decision made in July.
Conversely, companies that do not participate in the
investigation will be subjected to import duties of 36.3%, a reduction from the
previous rate of 37.6%.