China lifts restrictions on foreign carmakers

▲

Click 'BusinessTianjin' above to follow us

China is making good on the promise to open its huge car market to foreign automakers. China will remove its longstanding restriction on foreign ownership for manufacturers of electric cars, ships and aircraft this year, the government announced Tuesday.

The announcement is just a first step in what China promised will be gradual phasing out of all restrictions on foreign ownership in the automobile industry.

The easing of the rules for carmakers comes at a time of increased trade tension between China and the United States. While China promised opening its car market in the past, Tuesday's announcement of a timeline could be a signal from that the world's second biggest economy is prepared to work with the US to avoid a full-on trade war.

The commission said ownership caps on commercial vehicles, such as buses or delivery trucks, manufacturers will be lifted by 2020, with passenger car makers following in 2022.

Under current rules, foreign automakers that want to produce and sell cars in China have to establish 50/50 joint ventures with Chinese companies.

Ford (F), General Motors (GM), Volkswagen (VLKAF), BMW (BAYRY), Fiat Chrysler (FCAU), Renault (RNLSY) and others have partnered with Chinese manufacturers.

China is the world's biggest car market, and success in the country is crucial for many car makers. GM said China has been its biggest market for six years straight. Volkswagen has also put huge emphasis on China, branding the market "decisive" for its future success. It sold more than 4 million cars in China in 2017, far more than in any other country.

President Donald Trump announced new tariffs on $50 billion worth of Chinese goods last month. China responded within hours by announcing $50 billion worth of tariffs on US goods. Trump then threatened additional tariffs on $100 billion worth of Chinese imports.

The back and forth escalated again this week. The United States dealt a potentially crippling blow to the Chinese smartphone maker ZTE (ZTCOF) on Monday, cutting it off from American part makers for seven years.

China said Tuesday that it would introduce a huge import charge on US shipments of sorghum, a grain that is used to feed livestock and make a liquor that's very popular with Chinese.

中国将取消对汽车制造商的外国所有权限制

中国周二宣布了一项解除外国汽车制造商所有权限制的时间表，以满足美国和其他国家长期以来对全球最大汽车市场寻求更好机会的需求。

尽管中美贸易紧张局势持续，但中国正在取消汽车企业外资持股比例的限制，这是二十多年来政策的重大转变。

自然资源保护委员会在一份声明中表示，我国将在2018年年取消对生产全电动和插电式混合动力汽车的公司的外资持股上限，此举皆是为2020年在商用车辆制造商和更广泛的汽车市场提供动力。

这一举措标志着中国贸易在拉锯周中的最新动向。周二，美国禁止美国公司向中国电信设备制造商中兴通讯公司出售零部件后，中国周二对美国高粱进行了临时性收费。

这也标志着1994年出台的一项规则的结束，在这个规则中，世界上最大的汽车市场限制外国汽车制造商在任何地方的合资企业中占有不超过50%的份额。

该政策的实施旨在帮助国内汽车制造商与更先进的国际竞争对手进行竞争。

专业人士表示，至少在短期内，主要受益者将是专注于新能源汽车开发的制造商，其中包括美国电动汽车制造商特斯拉，该公司一直寻求在上海建立自己的工厂。

特斯拉首席执行官埃隆马斯克上月表示，中国对外国企业严格的汽车规定造成了一个不公平的竞争环境，因为许多本国以及国际公司正在争夺中国快速增长的新能源汽车市场份额。

宽松的规则可能会给国内汽车制造商带来压力，可能会触及沃伦-巴菲特支持的比亚迪股份有限公司。

咨询公司IHS Markit的亚太区首席执行官James Chao说，传统汽车制造商需要等待更长的时间才能产生直接影响，并可能面临更多的风险而不是放弃合资企业的机会。

专业人士分析：外国合资企业结构现在已经根深蒂固，许多车企可能不想改变它。

“虽然获得更大份额可能有利于提高利润，但他们实际上可能已经过于依赖中国合作伙伴来切断这些关系。”

上周通用汽车高级主管表示，即使没有所有权上限，也不会削减与我国合作伙伴上汽集团的关系。消息人士因为此事的敏感性而要求匿名，并表示通用汽车在中国不会取得成功的。

上周通用汽车表示，其在中国的增长是与我们值得信赖的合资伙伴合作的结果。

日产汽车公司在一份声明中表示，它将监督如何制定具体的政策并相应地制定计划。

本田也对此做出表示，其在华业务的增长得益于当地强大的合作伙伴。目前还没有改变资本关系的计划。

国家发展和改革委员会（NDRC）表示，中国将在2018年取消造船业以及飞机制造业外资所有权的限制。

Previous Articles You Could Read：

Business Tianjin 2018 April Issue

更多精彩，请访问我们的网站www.businesstianjin.com或关注我们的微信公众号：business_tianjin。