# China warns UK over electric vehicle tariffs

> Beijing threatens retaliation if Britain aligns with the EU on tariffs against Chinese electric cars.
- Title: China warns UK over electric vehicle tariffs · POLITICO
- Summary: Beijing threatens retaliation if Britain aligns with the EU on tariffs against Chinese electric cars. China has threatened to retaliate if the UK imposes…
- Keywords: china, european union, electric vehicles, tariffs, trade, anas sarwar, politics, world, warns, electric, vehicle, POLITICO
- Source: POLITICO — https://politico.eu/article/china-threatens-retaliation-if-u-k-follows-the-eu-on-tariffs
- Published: 2026-10-20T17:26:48+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: china, uk, european union, electric vehicles, tariffs, trade, anas sarwar, politics, world
## China threatens UK retaliation
Beijing has warned it will retaliate if Britain raises tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles in alignment with the European Union's approach to counter China's market dominance.

> If the U.K. insists on imposing restrictions on Chinese electric vehicles, China will resolutely retaliate and safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese industries.
## UK and EU coordinate on tariffs
The UK is working with European partners to avoid a ten percent electric vehicle tariff starting next year when stricter Brexit trade deal rules of origin take effect.

> the more that the U.K. and the EU work together and act in lockstep, the better it is for both the U.K. and the European Union.
## China warns against EU copycat
China's Ministry of Commerce urged Britain to follow World Trade Organization rules and not copy Brussels' approach, warning that tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles would be discriminatory.

> China urges the U.K. to abide by WTO rules, think carefully, and not follow the European Union.
## Key takeaway

China has threatened to retaliate if the UK imposes tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles in coordination with the European Union.