EU tells China to cap hybrid car exports at 15% of its market or face new tariffs
From the Newshound archive · first published 19 September 2026.
Chinese hybrid car sales into the EU surged from 3,800 to 50,000 vehicles a month in under a year, prompting Brussels to demand Beijing cap exports or face new tariffs.
Brussels has formally demanded Beijing voluntarily limit Chinese hybrid vehicle sales to around 15% of the EU market — down from more than a third currently. Hybrid imports have surged more than tenfold since October 2024, hitting 50,000 vehicles a month by July, while only pure electric Chinese cars currently face special EU tariffs. An EU official warned bluntly: 'If they will not limit their exports to our market then we will.' Crunch talks in Beijing next month are expected to determine whether China complies.
The EU has set an October deadline for 'concrete results' on narrowing its fast-expanding trade deficit with China.
