Germany’s auto industry head warns on China trade imbalances

The head of Germany's auto industry association, VDA, has expressed concern over growing trade imbalances with China, stating that the European Union has mechanisms in place to ensure fair competition in the event of WTO rule violations causing market distortions. VDA President Hildegard Mueller suggested that dialogue should be the initial approach to resolving these differences, but measures can be employed once competition has been significantly compromised.

She emphasized that any actions taken must be carefully evaluated in close collaboration with the relevant industry. Mueller, according to Handelsblatt, has explicitly backed the imposition of new tariffs on China under specific circumstances.