Push for Tariffs on Chinese EVs in Brazil as BYD Comes to Town - CleanTechnica

Chinese electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer BYD is rapidly expanding its presence in Latin America, offering affordable and high-quality electric cars that are gaining traction in markets like Brazil. However, this growth is facing resistance from certain segments of Brazil’s auto industry and labor groups. These groups argue that Chinese companies like BYD are exploiting Brazil’s temporarily low EV import tariffs to flood the market with vehicles produced in China, rather than investing in local manufacturing and job creation. Consequently, they are lobbying the Brazilian government to accelerate the increase of import tariffs on all EVs from 10% to 35%, aiming to protect domestic industry. This push for higher tariffs comes just as Brazil’s EV market is beginning to develop more robustly, with BYD’s large shipments symbolizing the growing competition. Critics claim that Chinese manufacturers have overbuilt production capacity and are offloading vehicles at artificially low prices, which could undermine local producers and slow the overall adoption of EVs in Brazil. The situation highlights the tension between encouraging EV