No 10 leaves door open to Chinese EV tariffs as Beijing warns UK against 'discriminatory' measures

Downing Street has signalled it is willing to impose tariffs on Chinese-made electric vehicles as the price of joining the EU's Made in Europe industrial package. France dropped its opposition to British inclusion in the scheme on Thursday, but a Franco-German proposal demands the UK dynamically align with EU trade defence measures, including the bloc's 2024 Chinese EV tariffs. Beijing's embassy in London warned it is "firmly opposed" to any tariff hikes on Chinese products, telling the UK side it has expressed "serious concern". The move puts Keir Starmer's government in a bind after business secretary Jonathan Reynolds said just days ago he would not be coerced into aligning with EU policy.

China's embassy warned that "trade protectionism runs counter to WTO rules and market principles."