SAIC responded to EU warning: refused to provide

SAIC Group, BYD and Geely Automobile, the three Chinese automobile enterprises targeted by the EU's countervailing investigation, as the only state-owned enterprise, also represented the attitude of the competent department to a certain extent in their attitude to the investigation, and their efforts to cooperate and unreasonable demands were resolutely rejected.

SAIC Group's New Energy Vehicles Exported to Europe

Recently, SAIC Group has shown extraordinary firmness and toughness in response to the European Commission's countervailing investigation on China's electric vehicle industry. In the face of "warnings" and doubts from the European Union, SAIC clearly stated that it has fully cooperated with the European Commission and provided all necessary information related to countervailing investigations in accordance with the rules of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the European Union (EU). However, for commercially sensitive information, such as battery formula, SAIC Group insists that it does not belong to the "necessary information" of this investigation.

Since October 2023, the European Commission has launched a countervailing investigation on Chinese electric vehicles. In this survey, three domestic automobile enterprises, SAIC Group, BYD and Geely Automobile, were selected as sample enterprises. This move has attracted wide attention in the industry, and at the same time, many Chinese auto enterprises have felt unprecedented pressure.

However, in the face of this pressure, SAIC did not shrink back. In an interview with the media, the relevant responsible person of SAIC Group said that the company has always adhered to the principles of openness and transparency and actively cooperated with the European Commission's investigation. However, the company has its own bottom line and principles on issues involving business sensitive information.

"We understand that the investigation work of the European Commission needs to obtain relevant information, but we must also protect our commercial interests and core technologies." SAIC Group officials said, "Business sensitive information, such as battery formula, is the core competitiveness of our company, and we cannot easily disclose it to the outside world."

The background of this EU countervailing investigation is that the European market is worried about the rapid growth of China's electric vehicles. The European automobile industry is worried that the low price competition of Chinese electric vehicles will have an impact on its local industry. However, the Chinese auto industry believes that such concerns are superfluous, and the auto industry between China and Europe has a broad basis for cooperation and complementary advantages.

The Chinese business sector also expressed concern and dissatisfaction with the EU's countervailing investigation. He Yadong, spokesman of the Ministry of Commerce, said that the EU did not adopt the standard of maximum representativeness of exports in its countervailing investigation of electric vehicles in China, and only selected three Chinese local enterprises as sample enterprises. This practice was against the norm, and the sample results could not represent the objective situation of the industry in the EU. China urges the European side to strictly abide by WTO rules and EU laws and ensure that the investigation is open, fair, fair and compliant.

In this context, SAIC Group's firm position undoubtedly sets an example for China's automobile industry. It shows that when facing international trade frictions, Chinese auto enterprises can not only maintain an open and cooperative attitude, but also firmly safeguard their legitimate rights and interests. At the same time, it also provides important reference and enlightenment for the future development of China's automobile industry.