STORY: Industry insiders, experts warn of fallout from EU's extra tariffs on Chinese EVs
SHOOTING DATE: June 15, 2024
DATELINE: June 17, 2024
LENGTH: 00:02:40
LOCATION: Beijing
CATEGORY: ECONOMY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of Chinese EVs
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Croatian): LJUBO JURCIC, Croatian economist and former minister of economy
3. SOUNDBITE 2 (German): HILDEGARD MUELLER, President of the German Association of the Automotive Industry
4. SOUNDBITE 3 (English): WALTER DORING, Chairman of the Academy of German Hidden Champions
5. SOUNDBITE 4 (English): VIOLETA BULC, Vice-chair of the Europe-Asia Center, Former EU Transport Commissioner
6. SOUNDBITE 5 (English): FERDINAND DUDENHOEFFER, Director of the Center for Automotive Research (CAR) in Bochum, Germany
7. SOUNDBITE 6 (English): HRVOJE PRPIC, President of Croatian Electric Vehicle Drivers Association
8. SOUNDBITE 7 (English): COSTANTINOS BT. COSTANTINOS, Professor of public policy at Addis Ababa University in Ethiopia
9. SOUNDBITE 8 (English): FERDINAND DUDENHOEFFER, Director of the Center for Automotive Research (CAR) in Bochum, Germany

STORYLINE:

The European Commission has announced provisional tariffs on China-made electric vehicles.

Auto industry players and observers say the move is based on false pretenses, and will not only exact an economic toll on the bloc but also impede the achievement of climate goals.

UNFAIR MOVE

SOUNDBITE 1 (Croatian): LJUBO JURCIC, Croatian economist and former minister of economy
"This is actually more of a political measure than an economic measure, so to speak."

SOUNDBITE 2 (German): HILDEGARD MUELLER, President of the German Association of the Automotive Industry
"What is always important is competition on equal terms. What is important is that the markets are mutually open and that everyone has the same access. We accept the competition. This also means that we would welcome Chinese companies coming to Germany and producing here. We believe that building up new tariffs and sliding into protectionism is the wrong way to go."

SOUNDBITE 3 (English): WALTER DORING, Chairman of the Academy of German Hidden Champions
"I think it is a mistake to have the higher tariffs because it will only damage all the chances we normally have. Never， never, ever before I heard against Germany that there were overcapacities. Therefore we should not do the same mistake to China."

SET TO BACKFIRE

SOUNDBITE 4 (English): VIOLETA BULC, Vice-chair of the Europe-Asia Center, Former EU Transport Commissioner
"As far as I know, the automotive industry of the EU and China have been well intertwined already. So the planned tariffs might affect the European automotive industry as well. So they can backfire."

SOUNDBITE 5 (English): FERDINAND DUDENHOEFFER, Director of the Center for Automotive Research (CAR) in Bochum, Germany
"So the industry is a global industry. We will lose in Europe, we will lose in Germany. Protection and tariffs are the wrong approaches. They will lead to a position that Europe and Germany, the nations will lose."

ANTI-GREEN

SOUNDBITE 6 (English): HRVOJE PRPIC, President of Croatian Electric Vehicle Drivers Association
"Even if the EU introduced high tariffs for electric vehicles, it won't help European industry to keep up (with) the pace of Chinese car manufacturers. And of course, the end user will pay that extra 30 percent. So, yeah, it's definitely not good for the whole market."

SOUNDBITE 7 (English): COSTANTINOS BT. COSTANTINOS, Professor of public policy at Addis Ababa University in Ethiopia
"In the short term, it's going to hurt the climate agenda very seriously. We generate huge amounts of polluting gases. And, therefore, there will be an impact. This is a wrong start for the climate agenda globally."

SOUNDBITE 8 (English): FERDINAND DUDENHOEFFER, Director of the Center for Automotive Research (CAR) in Bochum, Germany
"The speed (of EV industry development) is incredible in China. The speed helps us to be better, to compete better the climate change. The green world is a world which we cannot do by ourselves in Germany, and in Europe, we are too weak. We need coupling, we need partnering. And China is very important in that process."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Beijing.
(XHTV)