At a recent meeting of the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA), industry leaders voiced their concerns over government assistance, high import tariffs and other trade barriers in newly minted auto markets such as China, India and South Korea. It’s a situation that’s made it very difficult, if not impossible, for the Euros to compete.
Dieter Zetsche, CEO of Daimler and the President of ACEA puts it well: “We are asking for a level playing field.”
Paul Everitt, CEO of the UK’S SMMT motor industry group echoes those remarks: “Our vision is for us to design, develop and manufacture high-value vehicles to export around the world. That is difficult if we don’t get access.”
For instance, India exports some 250,000 cars each year to Europe but only imports 5,000 European vehicles. This might have something to do with the high import taxes Indian car buyers have to pay on foreign vehicles.
The European automakers are also asking to be treated as strategic industries by government, seeing as they are important to their nations’ economic growth.
The Euros are also asking for government investment in power charging infrastructure and short-term loans / grants for developing electric vehicles and other green technologies. Dieter Zetsche, again:
“We in the industry have to take the lead. In Germany alone, the automotive industry will invest about 16 [billion] euros [in green technologies]. Over the next five years we will see no return on that investment.”
By Tristan Hankins
Source: BBC
