Chinese automakers have called on Beijing to respond to European Union tariffs on electric vehicles (EVs) with "the most severe measures" including duties on high-powered petrol-fuelled cars.
The call follows the European Commission proposing import duties of up to 38% on Chinese EV manufacturers after an investigation revealed significant state subsidies.
At a private meeting, Chinese EV makes told their government to impose tariffs on all imported luxury European vehicles, according to the reports.
This would impact German carmakers and Britain’s Jaguar Land Rover, which produces Land Rover Discovery and Land Rover Defender models in Slovakia and the Italian luxury brand Ferrari (NYSE:RACE).
European manufacturers attended the meeting, reported the Global Times and China Central Television (CCTV), and heard the calls for provisional tariffs on petrol-fuelled cars.
A social media account linked to CCTV said that China's automakers called for "the most severe measures" in response to the EU tariffs.
Beijing is said to be contemplating a 25% tariff on imported European petrol cars with engines of 2.5 litres or more in response to the EU proposal.
This move could impact popular models such as the Mercedes S-Class, Porsche Cayenne, and BMW X7.
Earlier this month, Bank of America analysts warned that German carmakers were most vulnerable to potential Chinese tariffs.
Porsche, which imports all its cars sold in China, relied on the country for 25% of its sales in 2023. BMW and Mercedes depended on imports for around 15% and 18% of their Chinese sales last year.