EV Leader Norway Won’t Follow EU on Chinese Electric Car Tariffs

Norway, a trailblazer in the uptake on plug-in vehicles, won’t join the EU’s increase in tariffs on Chinese electric cars, Finance Minister Trygve Slagsvold Vedum said. 

“Introducing tariffs on Chinese cars is neither relevant nor desirable for this government,” Vedum told Bloomberg in an emailed comment. 

Norway has the highest density of electric vehicles in the world. Of all personal cars in the Nordic country last year, 24% were electric, while more than 80% of cars sold in 2022 were EVs, according to Statistics Norway. 

More than 12% of EVs imported into Norway are made by Chinese brands, according to The Norwegian Road Federation, OFV. That figure includes Polestar, but not cars built by Volvo Car AB.

The EU announced tariffs of up to 38% on Chinese EVs on June 12, and will be applied provisionally starting in July.