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Tesla TSLA has joined BMW and several Chinese manufacturers in challenging EU tariffs on China-made electric vehicles at the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), per a court filing. While the tariffs are significantly lower than the 100% punitive duties imposed by the United States and Canada on Chinese battery electric vehicles (BEVs), automakers argue they remain too high. They claim the tariffs are designed to protect European-made vehicles from competition with Chinese BEVs, which benefit from state subsidies.
This legal challenge adds another layer to Brussels’ ongoing tensions with Tesla CEO Elon Musk, an ally of former U.S. President Donald Trump. Earlier this month, the EU intensified its scrutiny of Musk’s social media platform, X, over content moderation and Tesla’s legal move could be seen as part of the billionaire’s broader dispute with the European bloc. The automaker continues to import a substantial number of vehicles from its Shanghai factory to Europe, making it vulnerable to tariffs. However, the automaker will face a lower tariff of 7.8% compared to some rivals.
The EU decided in June to impose tariffs on Chinese electric car imports, citing unfair subsidies that allegedly helped Chinese manufacturers dominate the industry. The tariffs, approved in October, vary based on the level of cooperation from Chinese companies during the investigation. As a result, BYD faces a 17% duty, Geely 18.8% and SAIC 35.3%, in addition to the EU’s standard 10% car import tariff.
Per the court documents, Tesla filed its complaint on Jan. 22, 2025, at the General Court, the lower chamber of the CJEU, which was the final day for submissions. Cases in this court typically take around 18 months and can be appealed.
The China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Machinery and Electronic Products, which represents Chinese BEV manufacturers, has also filed a complaint. Meanwhile, Brussels and Beijing have been engaged in talks since September over potential minimum price commitments. The European Commission has acknowledged the lawsuits and is preparing its defense while maintaining technical discussions with Beijing. In addition to Tesla and BMW, BYD, Geely and SAIC have also filed legal challenges against the EU’s import tariffs.
Zacks Rank & Key Picks
Tesla carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) at present.
Some better-ranked stocks in the auto space are Geely Automobile Holdings Limited GELYY, Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. YMHAY and Allison Transmission Holdings, Inc. ALSN, While GELYY sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), YMHAY and ALSN carry a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) each at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for GELYY’s fiscal 2025 sales and earnings suggests year-over-year growth of 66.62% and 149.31%, respectively. EPS estimates for fiscal 2025 and 2026 have improved by 15 cents and 38 cents, respectively, in the past 30 days.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for YMHAY’s 2025 sales and earnings suggests year-over-year growth of 8.69%and 19.07%, respectively. EPS estimates for 2025 have improved by a penny in the past 60 days.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for ALSN’s 2025 sales and earnings suggests year-over-year growth of 6.67% and 11.40%, respectively. EPS estimates for 2025 have improved 3 cents in the past 30 days.