WTO launches investigation into Türkiye’s measures on Chinese electric vehicles
Containers are seen at the port in Nanjing, in China's eastern Jiangsu province on February 5, 2025. Global equities have been hit by volatility this week after US President Donald Trump announced hefty tariffs on China, Canada and Mexico. (Photo by AFP) /
The World Trade Organization (WTO) has decided to review Türkiye‘s measures regarding the import of Chinese electric vehicles.
According to a WTO statement, the Dispute Settlement Body members have accepted China’s request to establish a dispute panel to examine Türkiye’s actions concerning electric vehicles and other vehicle types originating from China.
In January, China’s Ministry of Commerce requested the WTO to form an expert group to investigate the tariffs imposed by Türkiye on Chinese EV imports.
Türkiye announced in June 2024 that it would impose a 40% additional tariff on vehicles imported from China and introduced strict conditions on the import of plug-in hybrid vehicles, including those from China, by the end of 2024.
China had taken the first step in initiating a trade dispute with Türkiye at the WTO over its tariffs on imports of electric vehicles, its diplomatic mission said in a statement.
The statement read, “The discriminatory measure taken by Türkiye is against WTO rules, and is protectionist in nature. We urge Türkiye to follow WTO rules and immediately correct its measures.”
Additional taxation for China’s gasoline and hybrid cars by 2025
Separately, Türkiye had increased additional tariffs on gasoline and hybrid cars imported from China from 40% to 50%, effective Jan. 1, 2025.
Under the new directive, Chinese gasoline and hybrid vehicles will now face a combined customs duty of 60%, including the existing 10% base customs tax and the 50% additional duty. However, the 40% customs duty on electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs) remains unchanged.
Industry experts anticipate that brands such as Chery and MG, which have gained a significant market presence in Türkiye, are expected to be directly impacted by this change.
