PARIS ― The French government plans to directly confront China over what Paris calls “unacceptable” retaliation against the European Union’s decision to slap tariffs on the heavily subsidized electric vehicles Beijing exports to the bloc.
A French diplomat told reporters on Tuesday that junior minister for trade, Sophie Primas, will press her counterpart Wang Wentao during a visit to Shanghai on China’s decision to enact duties on brandy imports and new probes targeting the dairy and pork sectors.
“The political nature of these investigations is clear,” said the diplomat, who spoke on the condition of anonymity in line with standard French government practice.
During the visit, which begins next week, Primas will “oppose the purely political Chinese positions,” the diplomat said.
France has been one of the strongest supporters of European tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, and French officials believe that this is why French exports, from cognac to cheese, are now in Beijing’s crosshairs.
The duties, of up to 35 percent, are expected to enter force by Thursday, although talks between Brussels and Beijing to find a negotiated settlement in the form of minimum price undertakings by Chinese manufacturers could well run into overtime.
The Chinese tariffs on brandy imports have mostly affected the French cognac and armagnac sectors, and any future moves from Beijing targeting dairy exports would disproportionally affect France compared to other EU member states.
“France had much clearer support for this investigation and decision, so obviously the Chinese want to make France pay,” the French diplomat said, interpreting the rationale behind China’s trade retaliation.
The Primas visit will coincide with the U.S. presidential election next Tuesday. A victory for former President Donald Trump, who has advocated across-the-board tariffs and punitive rates for China, could upend not only the EU-China talks on EV duties but reshuffle the cards in Europe’s trading relationships with both Washington and Beijing.
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