Britain set to levy tariffs on Chinese electric cars, The Times reports - CNA

British ministers are ready to match the European Union's 45 per cent levy on Chinese electric cars, the Times newspaper reported, to avoid the pain of "Made in Europe" proposals, which could impact UK companies selling into the EU.

British Business, Innovation, Science and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds speaks at the Labour Party's annual conference in Liverpool, Britain, Sep 28, 2026. (Photo: Reuters/Temilade Adelaja) 05 Oct 2026 05:46AM (Updated: 05 Oct 2026 12:48PM) Bookmark Bookmark Share WhatsApp Telegram Facebook Twitter Email LinkedIn Set CNA as your preferred source on Google Add CNA as a trusted source to help Google better understand and surface our content in search results. Read a summary of this article on FAST. Get bite-sized news via a newcards interface. Give it a try. Click here to return to FAST Tap here to return to FAST FAST Oct 4 : Britain is considering imposing tariffs on Chinese electric vehicle imports amid concerns that Beijing is flooding the market with state-subsidised cars, the Times newspaper reported on Sunday.

Business minister Jonathan Reynolds is drawing up a package of potential tariffs on Chinese vehicle imports, the report said, citing concerns that Chinese manufacturers are "dumping" subsidised vehicles into Britain.

Reuters could not immediately verify the report.

Asked to comment, a spokesperson from the British government told Reuters no tariffs have been imposed on Chinese EVs.

CNA Games Guess Word Crack the word, one row at a time Buzzword Create words using the given letters Mini Sudoku Tiny puzzle, mighty brain teaser Mini Crossword Small grid, big challenge Word Search Spot as many words as you can Show More Show Less "We continue to engage closely with industry so that our approach reflects the sector’s and UK’s national interests," the spokesperson said in an email.

British ministers are ready to match the European Union's 45 per cent levy on Chinese electric cars, the Times said, to avoid the pain of "Made in Europe" proposals, which could impact UK companies selling into the EU.

The EU's "Made in Europe" policy is aimed at reducing reliance on Chinese components by prioritising European-made goods, raising concerns among British automakers that supply parts into European manufacturing chains and sell vehicles across the bloc.

Burnham said last month he would make the case that Britain should be treated as a "trusted partner" under the proposed EU rules, warning that excluding the UK could damage its car industry.

The Financial Times reported in September that Brussels had urged British Prime Minister Andy Burnham to align more closely with EU trade policy and raise tariffs on Chinese cars if Britain wants to avoid the "made in Europe" barriers.

According to the Times, citing senior government sources, ministers believe any decision on tariffs should be based on Britain's national interest rather than automatically following the EU's lead.

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