German Vice-Chancellor Klingbeil Urges EU Tariffs on Chinese Plug-In Hybrid Cars

German Vice-Chancellor and Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil, speaking on September 17, 2026 at Volkswagen's headquarters in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, urged the European Union to include hybrid vehicles in the scope of tariffs on Chinese imports. He said the EU must tighten its rules and impose tariffs on China-made plug-in hybrid vehicles. Klingbeil also said Germany should not be naive in its trade dealings with China, adding that a clear signal is needed at the European level and a tougher stance toward countries that threaten domestic industry.

Germany is Europe's largest economy, and its car industry is facing intense competition from China, especially in electric vehicle sales. Volkswagen Group plans to cut up to 100,000 jobs in the coming years, while Mercedes-Benz and BMW are also scaling back.

The EU considers Chinese electric vehicles to benefit from unfair state subsidies and has imposed higher tariffs on them since 2024. Calls are now growing to extend such tariff measures to hybrid vehicles.