A US-China EV trade war threatens Biden’s clean-car agenda

By Joseph White, Chris Kirkham and Nora Eckert – Reuters

The Biden administration’s plan to slap heavy new tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles and batteries would provide temporary protection for U.S. auto jobs, potentially at the expense of White House efforts to fight climate change by accelerating U.S. EV adoption.

Few Chinese-made EVs are currently sold in the United States, so the immediate impact on consumers of higher EV tariffs would be minimal, analysts said. The White House also plans to more than triple tariffs on Chinese EV batteries and battery parts to 25%. Graphite, permanent magnets used in EV motors and other EV minerals would get new 25% duties added. These tariffs could affect a broader range of vehicles.