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German carmakers ought to not be afraid of Chinese competition, says Scholz

storyp1> KUPPENHEIM, Germany, Oct 21 (Reuters) German automakers ought to not hesitate of competition from China, Chancellor Olaf Scholz stated on Monday at the opening of MercedesBenz's MBGn.DE first battery recycling plant, an investment he referred to as part of Germany's brand-new commercial policy agenda.

Some state that China can do much better with electrical motors than us, Scholz said.

German business need not hesitate of this competition, he said, pointing out that the industry had weathered strong competition from South Korea and Japan in the past and reaffirming Germany's stance versus the European Union's tariffs on Chinese-made electrical automobiles (EVs).

I'm against tariffs that hurt us, Scholz stated at the opening ceremony in Kuppenheim, south-western Germany.

The EU ought to use such procedures where discarding and subsidies in fact put European manufacturers at a downside, for example, in the steel market, he included.

The European vehicle sector is dealing with several obstacles, varying from high production expenses and managing the shift to electrical lorries to falling need and rising competitors.

These problems have led some European automakers to reduce capacity, while the area's leading player Volkswagen VOWG_p. DE is thinking about plant closures in Germany for the very first time.

All Mercedes plants are well-utilised, apart from one factory in Germany's Sindelfingen, where it produces its high-end S-Class design line, stated Joerg Burzer, Mercedes's board member accountable for production.

Mercedes's third-quarter sales in China, where the group makes about a 3rd of its sales, fell 13%, specifically hit by lower luxury demand there due to the property crisis, affecting the S-Class in specific.

The EU is imposing significant tariffs on Chinese-made EVs, saying they benefit from unjust state subsidies. Beijing denies this and has threatened retaliation, while German automakers, that make about a third of their revenues in China, have actually voiced issue and called for more talks.

Germany voted against the tariffs.

Mercedes plans to draw out raw materials such as lithium, nickel, and cobalt from old electrical car batteries at the carbon-emissions-free factory, to later re-use them.


(source: Reuters)