China has warned the UK against following the EU with tariffs on Chinese electric cars. The UK hasn't put any tariffs in place, but its trade minister has said talks with European partners are continuing, and Beijing has made clear it would respond.
What China said, and what the UK has decided
China's Ministry of Commerce responded on 19 October to comments from the UK trade minister, Anas Sarwar, who told Politico that the UK and the EU should act together on China's growing strength in the car industry. The ministry urged the UK to follow World Trade Organization rules and to think twice rather than simply copy the EU. It said China would watch developments closely and take firm countermeasures if the UK went ahead with restrictions on Chinese EVs, without saying what those would be.
Nothing has been decided in the UK. A government spokesperson has said there are no tariffs on Chinese EVs, and Sarwar didn't give a rate or a timetable. Reports earlier in October said ministers were prepared to match the EU's tariffs, but the government hasn't confirmed that.
Part of the background is the EU's "Made in Europe" rules, which favour European-made products in some public contracts. The UK wants British firms to be included, and lining up with the EU on Chinese EVs could help its case. Against that, the UK car industry depends heavily on exports, and the Business Secretary has said any tariff decision has to take the effect on export markets into account.
What the EU already charges
If the UK does follow the EU, the model is already in place. Since October 2024, Chinese-built battery electric cars sold in the EU have paid an extra duty on top of the standard 10% import tariff. The rate depends on the manufacturer and how far it co-operated with the EU's investigation:
| Manufacturer | Extra EU duty | Total with 10% import duty |
|---|---|---|
| Tesla (China-built cars) | 7.8% | 17.8% |
| BYD | 17.0% | 27.0% |
| Geely | 18.8% | 28.8% |
| Other co-operating makers | 20.7% | 30.7% |
| SAIC (MG) | 35.3% | 45.3% |
| Non-co-operating makers | 35.3% | 45.3% |
(EU rates in force at 28 October 2026. They apply to fully electric cars only.)
The duties run for five years and don't cover plug-in hybrids. They also apply in Ireland, so Irish prices for Chinese-built EVs already include them, while UK prices don't.
What it could mean for UK buyers
Chinese-built cars are a big part of the UK electric car market. BYD's Sealion 7 and Seal and the Leapmotor B10 are among the UK's ten best-selling electric cars this year, according to SMMT figures reported by Automotive Logistics.
How tariffs would affect prices depends on the rate and on how much of the cost manufacturers decide to absorb. If the UK copied the EU's approach, the effect would vary a lot between brands: under the EU's rates, MG's maker SAIC pays an extra duty more than four times as high as Tesla does on its China-built cars. With no decision made, it's too early to say what would happen to the price of any particular model, but if you're thinking of buying a Chinese-built EV in the UK, it's a story worth watching.
(Correct at 28 October 2026.)