U.S. tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles and their effects

Ira Reese
Ira Reese
Independent consultant on customs and trade matters and border and stadium security, Global Security and Innovative Strategies, United States of America
Published 16 Jun 2024
U.S. tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles and their effects
Adobe Stock
Topic spotlight
Duties & taxes
On 14 May, U.S. President Joe Biden placed a 100% tariff duty rate on imports of Chinese Electric Vehicles (EVs). The reasoning was that the low cost of Chinese EVs needs to be counterbalanced by tariffs so that domestic manufacturers can compete fairly against Chinese imports. Editors’ note: For developments in the EU, see ‘EU law news June 2024’.

Related content

CJEU: claiming the wrong tariff quota does not justify double duties

CJEU: claiming the wrong tariff quota does not justify double duties

Editorial Board
Editorial Board
23 Jul 2026

What happens if an importer claims the wrong tariff quota? Can customs charge both safeguard and anti-dumping duties on the same shipment because of it? A seemingly minor procedural error…

Duties & taxes
News in focus
View glossary entry

Non-manipulation certificate: the proof of direct transport that protects your preference

16 Aug 2026

What a non-manipulation certificate is, the direct-transport rule behind it, who issues it, how the EU procedure works, and its new role for US imports.

Duties & taxes
View glossary entry

Tariff quotas: the volume limit that changes the duty

10 Aug 2026

What a tariff quota is, the preferential, autonomous and safeguard types, how they are managed, and how the steel quotas work - with a worked example.

Duties & taxes
View glossary entry

Anti-dumping duties: the extra duty on dumped imports

03 Aug 2026

What an anti-dumping duty is, how the EU sets it through an investigation, how it applies on top of the normal customs duty, and how circumvention is tackled - with…

Duties & taxes
View glossary entry

Import taxes: the three taxes customs collects at import

20 Jul 2026

What import taxes are in the EU - customs duty, import VAT and excise - how each is calculated on a customs-law basis, and where to find the rates.

Duties & taxes
US imports: how to legally save duties with the "First Sale" strategy

US imports: how to legally save duties with the "First Sale" strategy

Christopher Matt
Christopher Matt
04 May 2025

The “first sale” principle offers companies exporting to the US considerable potential savings on customs duties. Especially in times of increased trade tensions and special tariffs, this method can lead…

Duties & taxes
Explainer