Mark Gitenstein, the US ambassador to the EU, said China is deliberately distorting markets with a glut of cheap goods.
Speaking to CNBC’s Silvia Amaro on Tuesday, Gitenstein said China was “engaged in a deliberate effort to undermine economic sectors in Europe and the United States.”
The Chinese embassy in London did not immediately respond to a request for comment when contacted by CNBC.
The ambassador’s comments come as the Biden administration on Tuesday announced increased tariffs on $18 billion in Chinese imports, including an increase in tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles from 25% to 100%. %.
It comes amid growing concerns about a host of cheap Chinese “green” products – such as electric vehicles, batteries and solar panels – flooding international markets.
White House officials have already warned Beijing to change some business practices that they say have weakened global supply chains. Meanwhile, last year the European Commission launched an investigation into Chinese electric vehicles and raised the possibility of introducing its own “anti-subsidy duties” in the future.
Gitenstein said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel have “spoken extensively about the problem of overcapacity in the People’s Republic of China and how it distorts our markets in the United States and its markets in Europe.
“We’re going to protect our workers and we’re going to protect our sectors of the economy that are basically under attack from the PRC (People’s Republic of China), particularly in the area of green technology,” he added.
— CNBC’s Rebecca Picciotto contributed to this report.
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