STORY: Imposing tariffs on Chinese EVs not in interest of European people: German association head
SHOOTING TIME: Oct. 29, 2024
DATELINE: Oct. 31, 2024
LENGTH: 00:02:41
LOCATION: Berlin
CATEGORY: ECONOMY

SHOTLIST:
1. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): MICHAEL SCHUMANN, Chairman of the Board of the German Federal Association for Economic Development and Foreign Trade
2. various of the manufacturing of EVs in China
3. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): MICHAEL SCHUMANN, Chairman of the Board of the German Federal Association for Economic Development and Foreign Trade

STORYLINE:

Imposing tariffs on Chinese EVs is not in the interest of European people, said a German association head.

SOUNDBITE 1 (English): MICHAEL SCHUMANN, Chairman of the Board of the German Federal Association for Economic Development and Foreign Trade
"It's no secret that we have been opposing the punitive tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles from the very start of the discussion, because we believe that they do not lie in the interest of the people in Europe, and certainly not in the interest of the people in Germany. And there are many reasons for that.
One of the main reasons is that China has become an innovation leader in electric mobility in Europe, but in Germany especially. We have a national plan to transition to electric mobility. We need more variety, we need more competition to bring the prices down. New models in Germany, affordable models would have helped. That is one main reason why we were opposed from the beginning.
Second, we believe in the strengths of our automotive industry. It's a pillar industry in Germany, and even that automotive industry was opposed to punitive tariffs from the very beginning, because they cooperate well with Chinese companies. It's a mutual innovation. It's mutual learning. And also, we don't want to start a spiral of protectionist trade measures that no one benefits from in the end. It will be a lose-lose situation.
Third, we would have preferred to have more constructive approaches to actually help and incentivize Chinese manufacturers to manufacture in Germany. Tariff is, I think, the worst instrument to be implemented."

Schumann added that Chinese electric vehicle companies have played an important role in advancing the global green transition to combat climate change.

SOUNDBITE 2 (English): MICHAEL SCHUMANN, Chairman of the Board of the German Federal Association for Economic Development and Foreign Trade
"The transition to electric mobility is a cornerstone of climate protection, and we need to support and advance that transition.
Now, Chinese electric vehicle companies have really set standards in that specific industry, and I hope that they can also contribute globally to helping transition faster and easier to electric mobility. And competition is good for innovation. I'm still confident in the German car industry as well. And the more variety we have, the better."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Berlin.
(XHTV)