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Tesla is suing the EU for tariffs that the block imposed on imports of electric vehicles from China, in the latest confrontation between the chief of billionaire Elon Musk and Brussels.
The European Court of Justice published the confirmation of the case, presented by the Tesla’s affiliate in Shanghai, on its website on Monday without providing further details.
Tesla’s lawsuit follows similar claims filed by Germany’s BMW and some Chinese car manufacturers.
In October the EU set anti-Nine-Nin-Jen-Subsidy tariffs up to 7.8 percent for Tesla and up to 35.3 percent on other imports of Chinese electric vehicles manufactured by other car manufacturers. Were in addition to a standard import fee of 10 percent for the industry.
Against subsidies came after an EU investigation launched in 2023 on China’s unfair support for its EV industry. Brussels revealed that car manufacturers had benefited from soft loans, free land deals and subsidies for suppliers such as steel makers.
About one fifth of all electric cars sold throughout the EU last year, or 300,000 units, were built in China. Tesla made up 28 percent of EVs made by Chinese imported into the block in 2023, more than any other brand, according to transport and environment, an environmental NGO.
Tesla was hit with the lowest fee after an individual EU examination revealed that it received the smallest amount of support from the Chinese government.
Tesla’s leaders have said they are regulating their import policy from China to respond to EU tariffs. The company currently exports model 3 vehicles from Shanghai to the EU, while producing the Y Model in Berlin.
Legal registration did not provide details about the Tesla argument. The case against the European Commission will be heard in the General Court, the second highest EU court and the judgment may appeal to ECJ. The process can take about 18 months.
European Commission spokesman Olof Gill said on Monday in response to Tesla’s appearance: “We are prepared to defend our case in court as needed.”
Musk, an advisor to US President Donald Trump and an open critic of regulating EU technology, has supported the far-right alternative to the party in Germany in the country’s election campaign.
The new Tesla registrations dropped 13 percent annually to 242,945 vehicles in 2024, according to ACEA, the European body of the car industry. Musk’s political activism has been blamed for preventing some drivers from buying a Tesla, though it has made others more likely to buy one.
