Major Chinese automakers will be next to knock on Brussels' door after Volkswagen secured a breakthrough tariff reprieve for its China-made Cupra Tavascan SUV, multiple industry insiders and analysts said. Chinese automakers are now looking at applying for similar deals for EV models they want to ship to Europe, according to the China Chamber of Commerce to the EU. The shift to the minimum pricing scheme shows how adept Chinese automakers have been at navigating the EV tariffs thus far, said Julian Litzinger, an automotive analyst with Dataforce. The minimum pricing model "should make Chinese cars less attractive by ensuring their prices are comparable to those of European cars in the same category. Chinese EV makers are also effectively shut out of the world's second- and third-largest auto markets, the United States and India, and sell very few cars in Japan, the next largest.

Source: The Telegraph February 11, 2026 12:37 UTC