【By Observer Net, Wang Yi】On November 19, the European Commission announced the initiation of an anti-dumping investigation into Chinese lawn mowers. Hong Kong's South China Morning Post pointed out that in recent days, Sino-European tensions over key mineral supply, the issue of NXP Semiconductor, and other topics have been increasing, and this move may further escalate trade tensions.

According to the announcement, after receiving a complaint from Swedish company Husqvarna, the European Commission believes that existing information indicates that the prices and costs of Chinese electric lawn mowers "are significantly distorted", and therefore decided to initiate an anti-dumping investigation. The investigation will be completed within one year of the publication of this notice, but no more than 14 months.

In fact, the reason for the EU's initiation of an anti-dumping investigation is completely unfounded. This year, China indeed sold more lawn mowers to Europe, but the actual prices are not low. According to an analysis by the China Mobile Robot Industry Alliance last October, compared with North America, European households have smaller lawns, which are more suitable for using lawn mowers, and therefore the European market has become a key focus for Chinese companies. In addition, Europe pays more attention to environmental protection, and with the rising cost of labor, the demand for such equipment is also more vigorous.

China Customs data shows that, according to export volume, more than 40% of Chinese lawn mowers are exported to the 27 EU member states. In the first nine months of this year, exports to Europe increased by 37.7%, and export value surged by 80.6%. At the same time, the total export volume of Chinese lawn mowers increased by 27.8%, and the export value increased by 49.4%, reaching $2 billion. Among them, the average unit price of products exported to Europe was $207.3, which is 43% higher than the average price of $144.6 for the global market.

European buyers are willing to pay for Chinese lawn mowers, price is one aspect, but more importantly because Chinese products have excellent performance and a series of technological innovations.

Chinese Lawn Mower - ECOVACS Official Website

The People's Daily reported on June that Quelbi from Sweden purchased an Aiconic model lawn mower produced by Griesen in the spring through a local dealer. After several uses, he was deeply satisfied with the product.

"My garden is quite large, and there are also flower beds and areas where the robot should not enter. We installed the RTK antenna on the roof and set the mowing area in the garden. I found that its mowing effect is very good, leaving no uncut area, and the grass stripes it cuts are also very beautiful," Quelbi said.

According to the report, the lawn mowers produced by Wailan Continent, a subsidiary of Ninebot, have been exported to more than 30 countries and regions, including Germany, France, the United States, the UK, and New Zealand.

"The price of our new intelligent lawn mowers, the Segway Navimow X series, is far lower than the annual cost of traditional manual mowing, saving users a lot of mowing costs," Li Ke, the public relations manager of Ninebot, told the People's Daily. The R&D team improved the machine's driving speed, widened the blade disc, optimized battery performance, reduced charging time, and equipped it with a 300-degree view three-camera VSLAM system, among other technological innovations, significantly enhancing the machine's positioning accuracy, mowing efficiency, and operational stability.

Regarding the EU's planned anti-dumping investigation on lawn mowers, Ninebot replied on November 19, stating that its products focus on the mid-to-high-end market, and its core competitiveness stems from technological innovation and user experience, not price competition.

Ninebot stated that from an industry perspective, the imposition of anti-dumping duties is likely to raise the entry barriers for the lawn mower industry, promoting further optimization of the competitive landscape. Leading manufacturers, with their mature supply chain management capabilities, sufficient financial reserves, and global operating experience, can better withstand industry fluctuations and are expected to seize this opportunity to further increase their market share and consolidate their competitive advantages. The company is actively communicating with relevant departments and will cooperate with the investigation in a compliant and professional manner, completing the required procedures such as submitting documents and verifying information, and effectively safeguarding its own legal rights and interests.

According to the South China Morning Post, facing the risk of additional tariffs, some Chinese companies still maintain confidence. An anonymous investor from Shenzhen, Guangdong, who invests in cleaning robot equipment manufacturers, said he is currently not overly concerned. Although small enterprises lacking strength may face a round of consolidation, "the industry generally believes that companies with product unit prices above $800 need not worry too much."

The report pointed out that recent Sino-European tensions over key mineral supplies, security issues, and other topics have been increasing, along with long-standing disputes over so-called "overcapacity" and the Ukraine issue, leading to continuous escalation of tension between the two sides. In late September, the Dutch government forcibly seized a Chinese enterprise, NXP Semiconductor, triggering a "earthquake" in the global automotive supply chain, causing chip supply crises for car manufacturers in the US, Europe, and Japan. On November 19, the Dutch government announced the suspension of its intervention against NXP Semiconductor to "show goodwill."

Hong Kong media summarized that in just November, the EU had already imposed temporary anti-dumping duties on two Chinese chemical raw materials, trichloroisocyanuric acid and phosphonic acid.

At the end of September, former EU senior official Cecilia Malmstrom claimed that to protect the local industry, the EU plans to significantly strengthen trade defense measures against China in the coming weeks, and "is currently preparing for an additional 20 anti-dumping investigations in multiple fields."

Regarding Sino-European relations, Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Foreign Minister, stated in Ljubljana in September that the current international situation is chaotic, with conflicts constantly emerging, and China and Europe should be friends rather than opponents, and cooperate rather than confront each other. In the context of the century's transformation, they should make the right choices and demonstrate their responsibility to history and the people.

China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning stated in July that we have noticed that some individuals in the EU persist in Cold War thinking, are swayed by false information, deliberately magnify differences, and lack a correct understanding of China and Sino-European relations. This not only affects Sino-European cooperation but also harms the EU itself. We hope the EU will truly establish an objective and rational understanding of China, implement a more positive and pragmatic policy towards China, and ensure the healthy and stable development of Sino-European relations.

This article is an exclusive article by Observer Net. Reproduction without permission is prohibited.

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