By Belén Carreño
MADRID (Reuters) – The European Union should seek a compromise and negotiated outcome with China, Spain said on Thursday, on the eve of a crucial EU vote on electric vehicle (EV) tariffs.
Instead of imposing tariffs, the EU should “keep negotiations open … beyond the binding vote” to strike a deal on prices as well as the relocation of battery production to the bloc, Economy Minister Carlos Cuerpo said in a letter to the European Commission Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis seen by Reuters.
“There is a lot at stake for our domestic industry,” Cuerpo wrote, noting that Spain is the EU’s second-largest car producer.
“We need to strike the right balance, technically and politically, to ensure that we both defend our industrial interests, and avoid a large-scale confrontation with strategic players such as China,” Cuerpo added.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said last month during a visit to China that the EU should…
