(Reuters) – Volvo Cars will postpone U.S. deliveries of its EX30 electric vehicle as it focuses on expanding production of the compact SUV outside China in the wake of tariff increases on the country's exports, a company spokesperson said on Wednesday. .
Volvo (OTC had previously said it would start selling the EX30 in the United States later this year, but a spokesperson told Reuters on Wednesday that deliveries will not begin until 2025, in part due to the introduction of tariffs of more than 100% on Chinese EV imports by the US government.
US President Joe Biden last month announced steep tariff increases on Chinese imports, including more than 100% for electric vehicles, up from 27.5% previously.
The European Commission later said it would also impose additional tariffs of up to 38.1% on imported Chinese electric cars from July, risking retaliation from Beijing, which said it would take action to safeguard its interests.
Volvo, the Swedish luxury brand owned by China's Geely, began building the EX30 in Zhangjiakou, China, and said last year it would expand production of the small electric SUV to a plant in Belgium starting in 2025.
Volvo's spokesman said Wednesday that the Belgian plant will primarily serve North America and Europe.
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