NIO hopes Audi’s Belgian plant will avoid EU tariffs

Chinese automaker NIO is reportedly considering acquiring Audi’s factory in Brussels, Belgium, to avoid current import tariffs on electric vehicles entering the European Union and the United Kingdom from China.

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According to a report brussels timesExecutives from the Shanghai-based company recently toured the factory where the Q8 e-tron is made as they prepare to bid for Volkswagen Group executives to meet a Sept. 23 deadline.

Related: Audi wants to stop production of Q8 E-Tron, may close Brussels plant

The European Union closed an investigation into Chinese state aid to companies that make cars in Asian countries and imposed tariffs designed to eliminate the companies’ price advantage when importing into Europe. While the 20% tariff on NIO is much lower than the 35% imposed on SAIC, the company behind MG, it’s enough to make moving production to Europe look like a smart move.

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The Brussels plant was in the news recently when Audi told its nearly 3,000 employees to prepare for two rounds of layoffs as it halted production of the electric Q8 SUV and its Sportback sibling due to poor sales, and said it might end production of the model earlier than expected. News that no company under the Volkswagen Group plans to produce new models in Brussels suggests the plant’s future is in jeopardy.

Management told unions this week that Audi found the plant not economically viable, meaning the workers’ only hope is for another company to move in and seize the land, which has been producing Volkswagen Beetles since 1954. More than 5,000 people took to the streets of Brussels on Monday to protest Volkswagen’s stance. Reuters report.

It is not yet clear which models NIO would produce in Brussels if it gets the green light for the plant. The company entered Europe in 2021 and currently offers a range of sedans and SUVs in five countries on the continent, the latest of which is the EL8, a six-seater model that rivals BMW’s iX.

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