LONDON, Oct 14 Reuters Britain does not plan to follow the European Union in imposing tariffs on imports of electric vehicles from China as UK businesses have not raised a complaint to be investigated, British trade minister Jonathan Reynolds said on Monday.
Earlier this month, EU member states narrowly backed import duties on Chinesemade EVs of up to 45, meant to counter what the European Commission says are unfair subsidies from Beijing to Chinese manufacturers. Beijing denies unfair competition.
Reynolds said there had not been any complaints from local industry to Britain39;s Trade Remedies Authority TRA, and indicated he would not seek to follow the bloc in pursuing tariffs, adding his primary concern was thriving and open export markets for British producers.
I do have the power as the Secretary of State to make that referral … We keep it under close analysis, but I think it39;s important our industry is different, and as of yet industry itself hasn39;t asked for that referral to the TRA, Reynolds told reporters on the sidelines of the International Investment summit.
Reynolds said he didn39;t believe that relations with China were in any sort of golden era as the government a decade ago had lauded but said Britain was an outlier in how little it had done to build trade links with China, and engagement was a good thing.
But he said Britain39;s priority were trade talks with India and the Gulf Cooperation Council in the Middle East as it restarts…