The market share of Chinese electric vehicle (EV) manufacturers in Europe dropped to its lowest point in eight months in November, following the European Union’s decision to raise import

tariffs on Chinese-made EVs at the end of October.

Chinese automakers, including industry leaders such as BYD and SAIC Motor—the parent company of the British sports car brand MG—claimed 7.4% of new electric vehicle registrations in the EU during November. This represents a decline from 8.2% in October and marks the lowest market share for Chinese EVs in the region since March, according to data from market research firm Dataforce.

The EU’s move to impose additional tariffs of up to 35% on Chinese electric cars was prompted by investigations revealing that Chinese state subsidies were providing an unfair competitive advantage to these manufacturers over their European counterparts.

After months of unresolved negotiations aimed at addressing the trade imbalance, the EU implemented the new duties on top of an existing 10% import tariff for Chinese-made EVs. In response, China launched its own investigations into alleged unfair trading practices by the EU, targeting products such as European dairy and pork exports.

The tariff increase is part of broader efforts by the EU to protect its domestic automotive industry from what it perceives as market distortions caused by state-supported competition from China. Photo by Navigator84, Wikimedia commons.