Well, it was fun for the Chinese while it lasted. But as Andy Burnham has reportedly been warned by German chancellor Friedrich Merz that rejoining the EU will not be possible unless the UK raises tariffs on Chinese electric cars to 45 per cent, the days of a Jaecoo sitting at the top of the sales charts may be long gone. Or will they?
The complications of cosying up to China and the EU are huge. So far, we’ve been hoping that being relatively tariff-free has boosted trade relationships with China – a market that’s crucial for British car brands and likely to be one of the most lucrative for the new Jaguar Type 01, for example – and encouraged Chinese investment in the UK.
