"It is obvious that the German economy has been facing unprecedented challenges over the past two years, since the Russian attack on Ukraine. And in this situation, we have to be careful that open markets do not collapse," Scholz said, speaking at an event organized by the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The German leader argued that "protectionism ultimately makes everything more expensive." "What we need is fair and free world trade," the chancellor defended, reiterating a position he has expressed on other occasions. As the White House had anticipated, Biden announced on Tuesday new tariffs worth $18 billion (€16.6 billion) on imports of Chinese products, with electric vehicles being the most affected, with rates rising from 25% to 100%. The German government's Council of Economic Experts, the group of so-called "five wise men", also assessed this measure as less effective than many believe and that it would not be appropriate for the European Union (EU) to follow this path. "It is clear that the US wants to protect its people and its industry for political reasons. It is understandable, but the question is whether something similar would be appropriate for us, maybe it is not the smartest thing to do," said Monika Schnitzer, the group's president. Also on Tuesday, the European Commission announced that it would analyse the United States' decision, as well as its possible impact on the market of the 27. The European Commission spokesperson for Trade, Olof Gill, indicated during the daily press conference that he would not comment on the application of the tariffs, nor on the conclusions reached by the North American authorities in this regard. The new tariffs affect sectors described by the White House as "vital to the economic future and national security of the United States", such as steel, aluminium, semiconductors, electric vehicles, batteries, solar panels, ship unloading cranes and medical products. The EC formally opened an anti-subsidy investigation into imports of electric vehicles from China in October. The investigation aims to determine whether the value chains of these vehicles in China benefit from illegal subsidies and whether these cause or threaten to cause economic damage to EU electric car manufacturers. Based on the findings of its investigation, the EC will determine whether to mitigate the effects of the unfair trade practices found by imposing anti-subsidy duties on imports of electric vehicles from China. Olof Gil also recalled that on May 6, at a meeting in Paris, EC President Ursula von der Leyen urged Chinese President Xi Jinping to address the imbalances and policies that are at the root of this overcapacity. Italian Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti also defended that the EU needs to defend itself from competition from external countries, when asked if Europe should follow the American path and impose tariffs against China. According to the EC, Chinese vehicles have an 8% penetration in the Community market - which could double to 15% in 2025 if the same rate is maintained - and cost 20% less than European ones. The Community investigation into these Chinese imports will be concluded within a maximum of 13 months from its start and, if legally justified, provisional anti-subsidy duties may be imposed within nine months of its start. The final measures may be instituted up to four months later or within 13 months of the opening of the investigation. Read Also: Putin calls for Sino-Russian foreign policy for "just world order" (Portuguese version)