The European Commission has maintained and enforced additional anti-subsidy duties on electric vehicles (EVs) imported from China since 2024, while providing a route for carmakers to request exemptions for specific models under EU rules.
In February 2026 the Commission approved the first model-level exemption when it agreed to exempt Volkswagen’s Cupra Tavascan SUV coupe - built in China - from the additional import duties. The exemption was granted on the condition that Cupra accept a minimum price and an annual import quota for the Tavascan.
According to the China Chamber of Commerce to the EU, Chinese automakers are now considering applications for comparable arrangements for EV models they intend to ship into European markets. The Commission had earlier revised down some of the proposed final duties after companies submitted comments during its anti-subsidy investigation, including a reduction in the proposed rate for China-made Tesla cars and modest downward adjustments for other manufacturers.
All additional tariffs listed below are levied on top of the EU’s standard 10% import duty for passenger cars. The Commission has published company-specific definitive countervailing duty rates. The following list reproduces those rates and naming as provided by the Commission:
- BYD Group — BYD Auto and affiliates: 17% - applies to BYD Auto, BYD Auto Industry, Changsha BYD Auto, Changsha Xingchao Auto, Changzhou BYD Auto, Fuzhou BYD Industrial, Hefei BYD Auto, Jinan BYD Auto.
- Geely Group (Asia Euro Automobile Manufacture): 18.8% (Taizhou) - covering Chongqing Lifan Passenger Vehicle, Fengsheng Automobile (Jiangsu), Shanxi New Energy Automobile Industry, Zhejiang Geely Automobile, Zhejiang Haoqing Automobile Manufacturing, Zhongjia Automobile Manufacturing (Chengdu).
- SAIC Group — SAIC MAXUS Automotive and affiliates: 35.3% - applies to SAIC Motor Corporation, Nanjing Automobile (Group) Corporation, SAIC Volkswagen Automotive, SAIC GM Wuling Automobile, SAIC General Motors.
- Tesla Co Ltd: an individually calculated duty of 7.8% (Shanghai) was set after Tesla was treated as a cooperating company and requested its own rate.
- Aiways Automobile: 20.7% - designated as a cooperating company.
- Other cooperating companies listed by the Commission: Anhui Jianghuai Automobile Companies Group; BMW Brilliance Automotive; Chery Automobile; China FAW Corp; Chongqing Changan Automobile; Dongfeng Motor Group; Great Wall Motor; Leapmotor Automobile; Nanjing Golden Dragon Bus; NIO Holding; XPeng Inc. (These firms are identified in the cooperating category by the Commission.)
- Volkswagen - Cupra: 0% for the Tavascan SUV coupe, conditional on the minimum price and quota arrangement approved by the Commission.
- All other companies: 35.3% - listed as the general rate applicable to companies not subject to a company-specific lower cooperating rate or an exemption.
The measures reflect the Commission’s dual approach: applying countervailing duties broadly while allowing targeted, model-specific exceptions when applicants accept binding commercial conditions. The published rates are definitive for the companies listed and operate in addition to the baseline 10% EU import duty on passenger cars.
The Commission’s prior adjustments to some proposed rates, including a lower calculated rate for Tesla and marginal reductions for other carmakers, followed consideration of company submissions during the anti-subsidy inquiry.
Note: This report reproduces the Commission’s outcome and the firm-level rates that have been published. It does not introduce projections, opinions or additional external context beyond the publicised measures and listed company assessments.