Scorching heat acute reminder EU should be open to green tech

When Europe's metallic roads start melting from the heat this summer, it will be wise not to miss the coat of protectionism that is heating up the surface. As the mercury rises, so does the urgency to tackle climate change. Yet the European Union's tariff barriers on Chinese electric vehicles risk upsetting the green momentum Europe claims to champion.

The EU imposed tariffs of up to 45.3 percent on Chinese-built battery-electric vehicles in October to stop them from "flooding" their market. Now, facing disruption because of the tariffs the United States has imposed, Beijing and Brussels have floated the idea of lifting the tariffs through possible commitments on minimum prices, known as price undertakings, for imported cars.

In the meantime, Chinese carmakers such as BYD and Chery are selling more plug-in hybrids in the EU to adapt to the tariffs. The two brands sold, respectively, 3,269 and 757 plug-in hybrids in the EU market in March, up from near zero sales in July 2024 when provisional tariffs were first introduced.