FT has learned about the EU's proposal to limit the export of hybrid cars from China

The European Union (EU) has proposed to China to voluntarily limit the share of hybrid cars in the European market to 15% in order to avoid further aggravation of trade relations. This was reported on September 17 by the Financial Times (FT) newspaper.

"If they don't restrict exports to our market, we will do it ourselves," the European official said.

According to the newspaper, from October 2024 to July 2026, the volume of monthly deliveries of Chinese hybrids to the EU increased from 3.8 thousand to 50 thousand cars. At the same time, the average prices for such cars decreased. Chinese cars now account for more than a third of the European market, with a standard import duty of 10%.

In addition to the automotive industry, Brussels called on Beijing to limit the supply of some other goods, including chemical products. The European Union also expects to increase the volume of purchases of European goods from China.

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Francisco Riberas, the head of Gestamp, an automotive component manufacturer, said on September 8 that Europe could lose the automotive industry if it could not preserve the industry and establish beneficial cooperation with Chinese automakers. According to him, the European car industry is facing falling sales and increased competition from Chinese companies. He noted that since 2017, car production in Europe has decreased by 20-25%.