In an interview reported by Bloomberg on October 9, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán voiced his strong opposition to the European Union’s proposed tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, asserting that such actions would be counterproductive.

Orbán criticized the EU for neglecting the interests of the European automotive industry while pursuing its environmental objectives. During his address to the European Parliament, he cautioned that a lack of coherent strategy could lead to severe job losses in the automotive sector. He stressed that imposing tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles would only worsen the unemployment crisis.

According to a report from AFP, EU member states recently voted on a final proposal from the European Commission regarding anti-subsidy measures on electric vehicles. Hungary, Germany, and three other countries were among those opposing the measure, while twelve nations, including Spain and Sweden, chose to abstain.

On the same day, a spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Commerce remarked that the EU’s investigation into anti-subsidies for Chinese electric vehicles was not initiated at the request of the industry, highlighting significant dissent from both EU member states and their industrial sectors. The spokesperson further claimed that the EU’s actions lack factual and legal justification, violate World Trade Organization regulations, and are tantamount to trade protectionism masquerading as trade remedies.

The spokesperson reiterated China’s steadfast opposition to the misuse of trade remedy measures and urged the EU to promptly amend its actions to sustain a healthy economic relationship between China and Europe.