Italy’s antitrust authority fined a local automobile company €6 million (US$6.4 million) after determining it had illegally labelled vehicles from Chinese manufacturers including Chery Automobile Co as Italian-made.
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DR Automobiles has been promoting cars from Chery, BAIC Motor Corp and Anhui Jianghua Automobile Group, or JAC Motors, as Italian-made since at least December 2021, the agency said on its website.
The China-made cars have been marketed under the DR and EVO brands after “final touches” in Italy, it said.
The move extends a crackdown in recent months by the government of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni over foreign-built vehicles that give the impression of being made in Italy.
In May, financial police seized dozens of Fiat Topolinos produced in Morocco because they sported an Italian flag.
In April, the Stellantis group had to rename its Alfa Romeo “Milano” sports utility vehicle because it was made in Poland. The vehicle is now known as “Junior”.
Last week, the EU threatened to hit Chinese electric vehicles with import taxes of up to 38%, after politicians called them a threat to the region's motor industry.
These charges would come on top of the current rate of 10% levied on all Chinese electric car imports to the EU. In response, China said the tariffs violated international trade rules and described the investigation as "protectionism".
The Commerce Ministry in Beijing said Friday that the European Union was to blame for escalating trade frictions with China, which could lead to a "trade war".
"Responsibility lies entirely with the EU side," a ministry spokesperson said in a statement.
China hoped the EU would meet it halfway, handle differences through dialogue and avoid escalating trade friction or allowing it to get out of control, the spokesperson said. ■
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