UK has no plans for EU-style tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, reports Reuters

Britain will not be following the European Union in imposing tariffs on Chinese electric vehicle (EV) imports, as no complaints have been raised by UK businesses, according to British trade minister Jonathan Reynolds.

This contrasts with the EU's recent decision to impose tariffs of up to 45% on Chinese-made EVs, which they argue are unfairly subsidized by Beijing - a claim China denies.

Reynolds explained to news agency Reuters earlier this week that the UK's Trade Remedies Authority (TRA) had not received any complaints from the local industry that would trigger an investigation. He said that his priority is to maintain open and thriving export markets for British producers.

Although Reynolds acknowledged that UK-China relations are no longer in a "golden era," he suggested that Britain could benefit from greater trade engagement with China, in contrast to how little has been done in recent years to strengthen these ties.

Earlier this week, AM spoke to Robert Forrester, chief executive of Vertu Motors, to discuss first-half perfromance. He noted that Vertu is set on strengthening its partnerships with Chinese manufacturers and plan to have five Leapmotor outlets by Christmas to add to its growing tally of Chinesse marques.

"We need to have more partnerships with Chinese manufacturers, especially since the government has indicated they are not in the mood for imposing big tariffs on Chinese cars," he said. "We might be the only major Western economy without these tariffs, so I suspect the Chinese will take market share.

"However, they've got a lot of work to do to grow their brands, as, with the exception of MG, they're not well-known here."