The US has quadrupled tariffs on Chinese EVs, along with extra tariffs on solar panels, steel, rare minerals and other goods.

The 100 per cent border tax on electric cars are, the US has said, a response to unfair subsidies used by Chinese industry and coercion to provide intellectual property, and are part of President Biden’s attempts to grow home-based industry and protect jobs.

Biden said in speech: “China heavily subsidised all these products, pushing Chinese companies to produce far more than the rest of the world can absorb. And then dumping the excess products onto the market at unfairly low prices, driving other manufacturers around the world out of business.”

Of course, such moves might cynically be seen as an appeal to US voters in an election year, and Donald Trump has already made statements about creating greater protection for US products.

Currently there is a 25 per cent tariff on EVs and solar panels, and these will now rise to 100 per cent and 50 per cent respectively.

The UK and EU are also considering their positions on such measures, although in these cases Chinses producers are already beginning to eat into the market, a situation that is less severe in the US, and any action could come at the cost of slowing the adoption of EVs and missing targets,

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