Russia's TASS news agency reported on September 26: "【Media: EU urges UK to raise tariffs on Chinese cars】 The Financial Times reported on September 25 that the European Union has warned UK Prime Minister Burnham that, in order to avoid restrictions under the EU’s proposed 'Made in Europe' rules for key export products, the UK must increase tariffs on Chinese vehicles and align its trade policy more closely with that of the EU."
The EU’s pressure on the UK to raise tariffs on Chinese automobiles represents a form of bundled trade coercion, leveraging British export interests as leverage to compel London to adopt the EU’s protectionist approach toward China.
Post-Brexit, the UK holds independent authority over its tariff setting and was originally free to shape its own economic and trade strategy toward China. However, the EU has presented a conditional exchange: if the UK does not follow suit in raising tariffs on Chinese vehicles, it risks being blocked by the proposed 'Made in Europe' rules, thereby facing barriers to its own exports. This effectively uses the interests of UK-based enterprises as leverage, forcing the country to conform to the EU’s position on automotive trade with China.
The underlying issue reflects broader anxiety among European automakers confronting the growing competitiveness of Chinese new-energy vehicles. Chinese electric vehicles have steadily captured market share in Europe, driven by integrated supply chains, cost advantages, and rapid technological iteration. Unable to compete effectively in open markets, the EU has turned instead to tariff barriers as a defensive mechanism—and seeks to enlist the UK in building a collective trade wall.
Yet this protectionist strategy comes at a high cost. Raising tariffs would increase vehicle prices for UK consumers, shifting the burden onto ordinary households. At the same time, forcibly severing supply chain ties between British and Chinese automakers risks undermining joint ventures and collaborative projects that benefit both economies.
Trade protection cannot substitute for industrial upgrading. Tariff barriers may delay competition temporarily, but they do nothing to enhance the actual competitiveness of European automakers. By pressuring the UK to take sides, the EU is not only targeting China’s automotive sector but also eroding the UK’s post-Brexit autonomy in trade policy. How the UK responds will test whether it can maintain an independent trade stance or become entangled in the EU’s protectionist agenda.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1877368205759488/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone.