EU to hit Teslas imported from China with 19% tariffs

The European Commission said on Tuesday that Teslas manufactured in China could be subject to an additional levy of 9 per cent on top of existing duties of 10 per cent applied to all foreign-made cars. The announcement comes after Tesla requested an individual investigation into its operations in China in the hope of avoiding the higher rates that Brussels has applied to Chinese manufacturers of up to 47 per cent. Elon Musk’s car company had also complained to European capitals about the probe, an EU diplomat said.

After an initial assessment, the commission announced in June that Chinese vehicle manufacturers including BYD and Geely could be subject to higher-than-expected tariffs of up to 48 per cent on cars imported into the bloc. On Tuesday, it marginally lowered these rates after the Chinese companies provided more information. The maximum additional levy was reduced by about 1 per cent.