China warns of countermeasures as EU updates EV probe

HONG KONG -- China has slammed the European Commission's latest decision on imposing import tariffs on electric vehicles from the nation as "practicing unfair competition," saying that Beijing will take all necessary steps to defend the "legitimate rights and interests" of its companies.

The EC published a draft decision on Tuesday as part of its ongoing anti-subsidy investigation to address concerns over low-priced EV imports from China. The decision puts the rates of proposed duties on Chinese brands in a range of 17% to 36.3%, slightly lower than an earlier range of between 17.4% and 37.6% announced last month.