UK moves toward tariffs on Chinese electric cars, Times reports
British business minister Jonathan Reynolds is drawing up a tariff package amid concerns over state-subsidised Chinese vehicles, the Times reports.
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The UK is expected to impose tariffs on electric cars imported from China, according to the Times. The newspaper reports that business minister Jonathan Reynolds is drawing up a package of potential tariffs amid concerns that Beijing is "dumping" state-subsidised vehicles into Britain.
The Times also reports that British ministers are prepared to match the European Union's existing levy of up to 45% on Chinese electric vehicles. The EU imposed those tariffs in October 2024 after an investigation into Chinese state subsidies, a measure that affected carmakers including BYD, SAIC Motor, Geely and Tesla's China-made exports, Bloomberg reported at the time.
A UK tariff would mark a shift toward the trade-defense posture already seen in recent calls to strip Chinese components from military supply chains. It would also add friction to UK-China commercial ties just as London works to repair relations with Brussels on autos and "Made in Europe" access.
The policy would not directly move US markets, but it adds another variable to an already crowded set of UK political and trade crosscurrents.