61% in the UK want tariffs imposed on Chinese EV makers

Six out of 10 people (61%) that the UK should impose tariffs on Chinese EV makers. July’s Startline Used Car Tracker covered 307 consumers and 62 dealers.

Views included the need to protect existing UK car manufacturers (43%), Chinese car makers are subsidised by their government and pricing is unfair (21%), and tariffs should level the market (12%).

Paul Burgess, CEO at Startline Motor Finance, said: “The impact of introducing trade tariffs is often unpredictable and many experts in the US and EU are worried that the moves made there could lead to a trade war with China, who have yet to react.

“However, the idea of introducing stronger tariffs in the UK certainly has widespread public support, our research shows, and this could create pressure on the new government to introduce some form of protection here.”

Despite support for imposing tariffs, 21% say UK manufacturers could benefit from competition, 19% believe consumers would have access to cheaper EVs and 16% believe that access would help reduce carbon emissions.

The US has imposed a 100% tariff on Chinese EVs while the EU has established a range of tariffs of up to 38%.

Burgess said: “It’s notable that across the EU, support for tariffs among car makers appears to be relatively low, with fears that they could lose at least some access to the huge Chinese market or see tariffs imposed on their own Chinese-manufactured vehicles, and the same appears to be true of at least some manufacturers in the UK.”