# UK rejects EU pressure to impose tariffs on Chinese cars

Date: 2026

On 14 October 2026, UK Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said Britain would not put tariffs on Chinese vehicles merely because the European Union wanted it to, and rejected the claim that the UK was becoming a back door for Chinese manufacturers into Europe. The Guardian reported the statement ahead of a 20 November UK-EU summit. The fact records the publicly stated refusal; it does not claim that UK trade policy is permanently fixed or that Reynolds acted alone without Cabinet authority.

## Sources

- https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/oct/14/uk-will-not-put-tariffs-on-chinese-vehicles-says-jonathan-reynolds
- https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/oct/14/uk-made-in-europe-law-hurt-carmaking-eu-mercedes-benz-boss-ola-kallenius

## Methodology

https://factrail.ai/methodology

Canonical: https://factrail.ai/facts/uk-rejects-eu-china-car-tariff-pressure-2026-10-14