Executive president of car manufacturer Stellantis, Carlos Tavares, acknowledged the possibility of closing assembly plants in Europeafter Chinese manufacturers installed on the continent.
“Closing borders to Chinese products is a trap. They will get around the obstacles, investing in factories in Europe that will be partially financed by state subsidies, in low-cost countries”, declared the Portuguese businessman, in an interview with the French newspaper Les Echos and quoted by the agency France Presse.
Os Chinese electric vehicles sold in Europe will have to pay import taxes of up to 45% from the end of October.
Several Chinese manufacturers, including BYD, have already announced that It will open units in Europe to avoid these surchargesa situation that can be seen as a threat to Stellantis, admitted Carlos Tavares.
“Nothing should be excluded. If the Chinese exceed 10% of the market share in Europe at the end of their attack, this means they will produce 1.5 million cars. This represents seven assembly plants. European manufacturers will then have to close them down or move them to China,” he warned.
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A Volkswagen was the first to introducewhen the closing of factories in Germany is mentioned.
“For us There is no reason to accept a decline in our performance. If the Chinese advance in Europe, even if we keep our break-even point below the 50% activity threshold”, he said.
Remember that in Portugal, Stellantis owns the Mangualde Production Centerin the Viseu area. Around 900 employees work in that manufacturing unit, producing an average of 363 vehicles per day.