Tariffs on photovoltaic imports - China denies exerting pressure on EU member states

The Spokesman of EU Trade Commissioner De Gucht reportedly said that the commissioner made it very clear to the Chinese side that he was aware of the pressure being exerted by China on a number of EU member states, which explains why they are positioning themselves to oppose the European Commission imposing tariffs on photovoltaic imports from China, but the commission will remain independent.

 In response, the Spokesperson of the Chinese Mission to the EU told EU Reporter

"China has close economic relations and trade with EU member states. It is fairly normal for China to exchange views with them on trade issues. However, China never exerts so-called “pressure” on anyone. Chinese and EU companies have extensive cooperation and shared interests in photovoltaic and other sectors. Needless to say, protectionist measures could only cause EU’s economy to lose steam – an obvious consequence of which the European people with insights are fully aware.

It is reported that some EU member states disagree with the Commission on its proposal to impose tariffs on Chinese photovoltaic products. In my view, such sensible judgment could only be made on the basis of careful weighing of the benefits and losses rather than any outside pressure.

It has been China’s consistent stand that trade disputes should be settled properly through dialogues and consultations. We have been working to this end in the past and will continue to do so in the future. We hope that the EU will work with us to ensure sound and steady growth of China-EU trade."   

Colin Stevens

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