Mercedes-Benz Also Suing The European Commission Over Tariffs

Mercedes-Benz has sued the European Commission over tariffs on electric car imports from China, joining BMW, Tesla, and a group of Chinese companies.

Mercedes-Benz has also decided to challenge the tariffs before the European Court of Justice (ECJ), along with Tesla and BMW, a company representative said.

The EU imposed the tariffs at the end of October, arguing that, according to the results of the investigation, state subsidies guarantee Chinese companies an unfair advantage in market competition.

The highest tariff was imposed on Chinese electric car manufacturer SAIC, at 35.3 percent. Geely followed with 18.8 percent and BYD with 17 percent. The Commission set the lowest customs rate for imports of cars manufactured in China by the American Tesla at 7.8 percent.

The US company filed a complaint against the Commission over the tariff decision last Wednesday, the last day of the appeals period, joining Geely, SAIC, and BYD, the China Chamber of Foreign Trade CCCME, and Germany’s BMW, court documents show.

Mercedes is cooperating with Geely in China, the DPA news agency notes.

The European Parliament cited in a report published in October “multiple sources that Chinese companies (for example, BYD, Nio, and Xpeng) still export relatively few cars and that two-thirds of Chinese imports to the EU are vehicles produced in China by established EU and US companies.”

A European Commission spokesperson responded to a question about the lawsuit by saying they were “ready to defend their decision in court.”

• Read More: Chinese Companies, Tesla, And BMW Are Suing The EU Over Tariffs