Several Chinese carmakers and auto suppliers held this week a new working meeting to discuss EU policy trends with a focus on the tariffs imposed by the European Commission a year ago.
The China Chamber of Commerce to the EU (CCCEU) said the meeting with the Automotive Working Group (CCCEUAWG) included the carmakers Nio, XPeng, Xiaomi as well as the battery manufacturer Gotion and the steel supplier HRC.
Hui Zhang, Nio Group’s Vice-President, is the Chair of the CCCEU Automotive Working Group since its establishment in February.
The group represents over a thousand Chinese enterprises operating across Europe.
The first meeting was held in July and was focused on discussing the “US-EU trade, EV tariffs, green policies and investment climate,” with “all sides committed to dialogue.”
In this week’s meeting, representatives from Nio, Changan, XPeng, Xiaomi, Great Wall Motor, and other companies participated to discuss the latest developments regarding EU tariffs on Chinese EVs.
The meeting also covered China’s newly issued export license management policy for battery electric passenger vehicles, the progress of the European Connected and Automated Vehicles Alliance (ECAVA), and other recent EU policy trends.
The ECAVA is an industry-led initiative established by the European Commission in 2025 as part of its Industrial Action Plan for the European Automotive Sector.
Its goal is to encourage collaboration and guide technological innovation in Europe’s automotive industry, especially in connected and autonomous driving, software-defined vehicles, hardware, AI, and data sharing.
Last week, the European Commission’s President Ursula von der Leyen said that the continent must focus on developing autonomous vehicles as competition from Chinese and US companies grows.
Since the last meeting in July, several Chinese automakers have expanded their presence in the Old Continent.
Besides entering several new markets — now being present in over 20 in Europe alone — XPeng has started local production in Europe, in a partnership with Magna Steyr.
The move will help the automaker to avoid tariffs on imported electric vehicles.
By partnering with an established manufacturer, the Guangzhou-based brand can reduce costs and bring its products to market more quickly.
BYD is also setting up production in Hungary, where it has its European headquarters.
The plant will open in the next few months with the VP Stella Li revealing last month that the Dolphin Surf (known in China as Seagull) will be the first model produced in the factory.
XPeng has recently opened its first R&D center in Europe, located in Munich.
It joins other Chinese companies, such as Nio and Xiaomi, which also have research and design centers in the German city.
Tech giant Xiaomi, which has launched its second model this summer in China, is expected to arrive in Europe in 2027, as revealed by President Lu Weibing in August.
It remains unknown whether the company aims to produce locally in Europe.
Changan, which backs brands like Avatr and Deepal, launched sales in Europe in late 2024, initially in Norway and Germany.
In early 2025, it expanded to the UK, Switzerland, Sweden, and Finland. The company sells its vehicles under the Deepal brand, including the S07 and S05 models.
By the year end, Changan aims to have entered at least 10 European markets, with the long-term goal of establishing a presence across the continent by 2028.
The company has two design centers in Europe — one in Turin, Italy, and another one in Munich, Germany.
Shanghai-based premium EV maker Nio will start deliveries in several European countries in the fourth quarter, including Belgium, Portugal and Greece.
The company, which is present in five markets, will launch in more than a dozen new European countries in the following months, including Austria, Hungary, Luxembourg, Poland, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, and Cyprus, among others.
Great Wall Motor (GWM) is also present in several European markets, including Germany and the UK.
Chery, which is set to launch two new SUVs in the UK, is “actively considering” building its second plant on the island, according to Victor Zhang, Chery Auto‘s UK Director.
Other Chinese automakers in the continent include Geely, which owns Volvo Cars and Polestar, while SAIC operates MG, a budget brand popular across Europe.
In Germany, the largest auto market in Europe, GWM sold 69 vehicles in September and a total of 2,281 year-to-date, while in the UK it registered 195 units last month and a total 419 in the past nine months.
Last year, the EU imposed tariffs on Chinese electric vehicle imports after determining the industry received significant government subsidies, which led to unfair trade in the region.
BYD faces since late last year a 17.4% duty, Geely 20%, and SAIC 38.1%. These are on top of the existing 10% import duty, bringing the total levies to as much as 48.1% for SAIC.
By then, China proposed setting a minimum price of €30,000 for Chinese-made electric vehicles sold in Europe.
However, the EU kept its position firm, arguing that the problem went beyond pricing and insisting on the state subsidies that distort fair competition in the European market.
Talks were reestablished in April, as Trump’s new tariffs took place.
By then, EU Trade Commissioner Šefčovič and China’s Commerce Minister Wang agreed to investigate the possibility of setting minimum prices for the imported EVs as an alternative to tariffs.
