China has warned the UK it will take “firm countermeasures” if Britain introduces additional tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, as the government considers aligning its trade policy more closely with the European Union.

China’s Ministry of Commerce issued the warning on Monday, urging the UK to comply with World Trade Organization rules and avoid following Brussels’ approach to restricting Chinese imports.

The UK currently applies a 10% tariff on Chinese electric vehicles, without additional country-specific duties. The EU, however, introduced additional tariffs of up to 35.3% on Chinese-made electric cars in late 2024 following an anti-subsidy investigation.

The UK’s relatively lower import duties have supported the expansion of Chinese manufacturers. According to the China Passenger Car Association, Chinese brands accounted for 26.7% of Britain’s new-energy vehicle market during the first eight months of the year, making it the second-largest market in Europe by share.

The debate comes as London discusses potential cooperation with the EU’s proposed Industrial Accelerator Act. A Franco-German proposal suggests UK participation could be conditional on alignment with European trade-defence measures.

However, Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds has said Britain would not change its trade rules to tax Chinese vehicles because of pressure from Brussels.

Any additional tariffs could therefore complicate UK-EU industrial cooperation while raising the prospect of retaliatory action from Beijing and higher costs for consumers.