BRUSSELS: European Union countries on Friday set the stage for imposing additional tariffs of up to 35.3 per cent on battery-powered electric vehicles imported from China, EU diplomats told German news agency dpa.

The European Commission had announced the extra tariffs after an investigation accused Beijing of subsidising domestic electric car manufacturers and thus distorting the market in the EU.

Whether the import duties will come into force at the beginning of November, is now up to the commission.

The plans, which caused a stir in EU capitals and among carmakers, can still be dismissed if Brussels reaches a solution with China at the negotiating table.

Germany, which voted against the measure, repeatedly called for further talks with Beijing amid concerns over retaliatory actions which could hurt the country’s big car industry.

Meanwhile in Berlin, German Finance Minister Christian Lindner warned of an escalation in trade policy disputes.

He asserted in a post on X on Friday that despite the vote, the European Commission, under Ursula von der Leyen’s leadership, should not trigger a trade war. “We need a negotiated solution,“ he wrote.

- Bernama, dpa