UK considering alignment with EU over tariff on Chinese EVs

While countries including the US, Turkey, and Mexico have been ramping up tariffs on electric vehicles (EVs) made in China, EV imports from China into the UK have continued to face a standard 10% import duty. The UK’s largest trading partner, the EU, introduced tariffs on China-made BEVs in 2024. In 2023, the last year when EVs made in China did not face additional tariffs from the EU, they accounted for 17% of total EV sales within the bloc. They broadly maintained this share until 2026, when over the first eight months of the year that share increased to 22% as Chinese automakers push into overseas markets against the backdrop of their subdued domestic environment. In comparison, China-made EVs accounted for 19% of EV sales in the UK in 2023, with that figure rising to 33% so far in 2026.