According to an exclusive report by Reuters, citing unnamed sources involved in the situation, investigators from the European Commission are to conduct inspections on Chinese automakers as part of an ongoing probe to determine whether punitive tariffs should be imposed to safeguard European electric vehicle manufacturers.
The investigation aims to assess the competitive landscape and potential impacts on the European EV industry.
The inspections will include visits to Chinese automakers BYD, Geely, and SAIC. Notably, non-Chinese brands manufactured in China, such as Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA), Renault, and BMW, will not be part of the inspection.
According to the sources, the visits are to verify responses the automakers gave to questions asked by the EU Commission. According to European documents, the probe is in the "initiation stage", with verification visits due by April 11th.