Though the United States, Canada and European Union have slapped hefty tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles (EVs) in the name of national security or combating excessive state subsidies, Australia – while still broadly in step with the West politically – has remained open to Chinese-made EVs and other products aiding in its green transition.
In contrast to its allies’ tit-for-tat trade barbs, analysts noted Australia’s “structured partnership” with China – the East Asian country sells the island nation a bevy of consumer goods, importing natural gas and iron ore in return – and lessons learned from a period of relatively high tensions between 2020 and 2023.
