BERLIN (dpa-AFX) - Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing rejects punitive tariffs for Chinese car manufacturers. "We don't want to seal off the market, we want to compete," the FDP politician told the "Stuttgarter Zeitung" and the "Stuttgarter Nachrichten" (Wednesday). The Federal Government has an interest in ensuring that German companies continue to generate value in Germany and survive in global trade. "That is why we want international trade that takes place in a fair and uniform competitive environment and not a trade war through punitive tariffs."

According to Wissing, this is essential for a country like Germany, which relies heavily on global trade. "We produce for the whole world, and we want to continue to do so in the future. In terms of the quality of our products, we are in an excellent position internationally," said the Minister. The EU is currently conducting an anti-subsidy investigation into electric cars produced in China and is considering imposing punitive tariffs./sl/DP/zb