Askume, Rome, Sept 16 – Italy will oppose a European Commission proposal to impose tariffs on Chinese electric vehicle exports, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said in an interview ahead of a meeting with the Chinese commerce minister in Rome.
“We support the European Commission’s order to protect the competitiveness of our companies,” Tajani told Corriere della Sera in an interview.
Minister Wang Wentao is visiting Europe to discuss the EU’s anti-subsidy case against Chinese-made electric vehicles and will vote on more tariffs.
He held talks with Tajani in Rome on Monday, but the Italian Foreign Ministry statement did not directly mention electric vehicles.
The two leaders discussed issues of intellectual property rights protection, trade and investment in the agri-food sector, Tajani said in a statement.
They also discussed the war in Ukraine, Gaza and the Red Sea crisis, with Italy calling on Beijing to help Russia deal with arms supplies and Red Sea navigation safety.
Wentao will hold talks with European Commission Executive Vice President and Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis on September 19.
“We want to develop a business plan based on equality, we demand equal access to their markets for our products. Our companies must compete on equal terms,” Tajani reiterated his views during the interview.
Italy backed the tariffs in a non-binding vote among EU members in July, but Industry Minister Adolfo Urso told Askume last week he hoped for a negotiated solution.
Italy remains a major automaker, with brands such as Fiat, part of the Stellantis (STLAM.MI) group. It is also trying to entice Chinese automakers such as Dongfeng and Chery Automobile to open factories to increase vehicle production.
In an interview with the newspaper, Tajani said his stance would not harm Italy’s “good relations” with China.
In late July, Italian Prime Minister Meloni visited China with the aim of strengthening cooperation and rebuilding trade ties with the world’s second-largest economy after the country withdrew from the “Belt and Road” infrastructure investment plan .
President Sergio Mattarella will visit China later this year and Tajani is also a member of the delegation.
The European Commission is due to propose a final tariff of up to 35.3% on Chinese-made electric vehicles, on top of the EU’s standard 10% car import tariff.
