(Berlin) The German Minister of Economy and Climate will travel to China next week, a delicate visit at a time when the EU is considering increasing taxes on Chinese electric vehicles to curb their imports.
The visit of Robert Habeck, one of the heavyweights of Olaf Scholz’s government, will take place from Friday to Sunday, with stops in Beijing, Shanghai and Hangzhou, according to a provisional schedule.
China is one of Germany’s main trading partners and this trip will discuss “political developments within the EU […]bilateral economic relations and other global challenges, such as climate protection,” a spokesperson for the Ministry of the Economy told the press on Friday.
The minister, from the Green party, “will not be able to avoid addressing the subject” of EU taxes on Chinese electric vehicles, but he “does not speak or negotiate on behalf of the European Commission, it “It’s the European Commission itself that does it,” insisted this spokesperson.
Chinese electric vehicles are in the crosshairs of Brussels, which has just announced surcharges to prevent their surge on the European continent.
The European Commission said on Wednesday that it wanted to impose up to 38% additional customs duties on imports of Chinese electric vehicles into the EU from July 4, while Beijing is accused of having illegally favored its manufacturers.
The euro zone’s largest economy, Germany is reserved about these measures, fearing reprisals for its automobile giants very involved in China, such as Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz and BMW.
The Ministry of the Economy said this week that it was banking on dialogue between Beijing and Brussels to find common ground on the conditions of fair competition in electric cars.
“The European Commission itself has clearly expressed its interest in finding a solution with the Chinese government. We of course support these discussions,” the German Economy Ministry reiterated on Friday.
PHOTO ODD ANDERSEN, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE ARCHIVES
Robert Habeck, German Minister of Economy and Climate
China remained Germany’s largest trading partner for the eighth consecutive year in 2023, narrowly ahead of the United States.
But against a backdrop of economic slowdown in both countries and a new German strategy to reduce its economic dependence, the first quarter of 2024 marked an inflection point: imports from the Asian giant fell by 11.7% year-on-year, relegating the country ranked as Berlin’s second largest trading partner over the first three months of the year.