{
  "id": 13919207,
  "title": "China’s BYD says eyeing France for new auto plant",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/12/chinas-byd-says-eyeing-france-for-new-auto-plant",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-10-12T08:54:08.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today-freemalays",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/business/2026/10/12/china-s-byd-says-eyeing-france-for-new-auto-plant"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "BYD, a leading electric vehicle manufacturer, is reportedly considering France as a site for one of its two upcoming factories in Europe. This development comes as the EU imposes tariffs on Chinese EV imports to safeguard its domestic automakers from the competition posed by low-cost Chinese vehicles.\n\nStella Li, BYD's vice president, confirmed to BFM television that the company is closely examining the possibility of establishing a factory in France. She stated that BYD is planning to open a second and a third factory in Europe after successfully opening a site in Hungary, which is expected to commence operations by the end of the year.\n\nThe EU and China recently reached an agreement to limit the export of hybrid vehicles, aiming to address the perceived unsustainable trade deficit in the European bloc. Under this arrangement, Chinese hybrid car imports to the EU will be capped at 350,000 units annually, a significant decrease from the current import level.\n\nWhile Li has not yet obtained the specifics of the EU-China accord, she emphasized BYD's strong commitment to Europe, stating that the company aims to invest heavily in the region. Li expressed her desire for the French people to view BYD as a French company and foster a sense of love and admiration for the brand among the French population.",
  "summary": "The development follows an EU-China understanding to limit hybrid vehicle exports, amid Brussels’ concerns over the bloc’s trade deficit with Beijing.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "China’s BYD says eyeing France for new auto plant",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/12/chinas-byd-says-eyeing-france-for-new-auto-plant-13921062",
        "published": "2026-10-12T08:54:08.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}