Asia Tech Wire (Oct 30) -- Chinese automaker SAIC Motor intends to file a lawsuit in the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) against the European Commission's final ruling on countervailing duties on imports of Chinese electric vehicles.

The European Commission announced on Tuesday the final results of its anti-subsidy investigation on Chinese electric vehicles, in which SAIC Motor faces a 35.3% countervailing duty.

SAIC Motor said Wednesday that the European Commission's countervailing investigation involved commercially sensitive information, made errors in the determination of subsidies, ignored some key information and defenses submitted by SAIC, and inflated the subsidy rates of several items.

The company said it has provided thousands of documents and written evidence in its legal defense by submitting questionnaires, written defenses, and hearing submissions.

"SAIC deeply regrets the European Commission's final ruling and intends to take the necessary legal measures to defend its legitimate rights and interests by bringing the case to the EU Court of Justice," it said in a statement.

SAIC Motor argued that the EU's focus on imposing additional tariffs of up to 35.3% on its all-electric models will drive up the cost of cars for European consumers and hinder the popularization of electric vehicles.

The Chinese state-owned automaker said it is taking a series of measures to strengthen its adaptability to European trade barriers, including stepping up efforts to introduce new models with various powertrains to the European market and further enriching the product lineup of its MG brand in Europe.

In 2023, SAIC Motor sold 108,884 MG4 EVs in Europe, making the model the best-selling all-electric compact car in the region that year.