STORY: German association head says new tariffs, protectionism send "wrong signal at wrong time"
SHOOTING TIME: Recent footage
DATELINE: June 28, 2024
LENGTH: 00:01:30
LOCATION: Berlin
CATEGORY: POLITICS/ECONOMY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of streets and vehicles in Germany
2. SOUNDBITE (English): MICHAEL SCHUMANN, Chairman of the Board of the German Federal Association for Economic Development and Foreign Trade (BWA)

STORYLINE:

Building up new tariffs and sliding into protectionism sends the wrong signal at the wrong time, the head of a German foreign trade association has said in a recent interview with Xinhua.

The European Commission has proposed levying provisional additional tariffs of up to 38.1 percent on China-made EVs starting from early July.

SOUNDBITE (English): MICHAEL SCHUMANN, Chairman of the Board of the German Federal Association for Economic Development and Foreign Trade (BWA)"We have been opposing tariffs and punitive measures and protectionist policies with regard to e-mobility for recent years.
I think that competition would be good for everyone. It would certainly be good to achieve our objectives and the transition to e-mobility. And that would help meet our climate goals, reduce CO2, and make it easier for the consumer, for people to transition to electric vehicles.
Still we think it's (EU tariffs against Chinese EVs) a wrong signal at this time.
We need to transition more fast. We need more varieties of models here on the street. The consumer needs better prices. And I think competition and more offers from China could help achieve that more fast.
We are a country that created its prosperity from its export. So we believe in free trade. We also believe in balance and fair trade. I think we should engage in a repeated and constructive dialogue to balance these issues."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Berlin.
(XHTV)