VW Chief Backs EU 'Made in Europe' Rules to Counter China
Volkswagen CEO Oliver Blume endorses EU proposals to strengthen domestic industry as Chinese automakers gain ground with lower-priced vehicles.
Volkswagen chief executive Oliver Blume has thrown his support behind European Union efforts to shore up domestic manufacturing, arguing that European automakers must be able to compete on equal footing with their Chinese counterparts. Blume made the remarks in Paris ahead of this week's motor show, one of the industry's most prominent international platforms.
Blume called on the EU to ensure that any "Made in Europe" framework rewards genuine economic activity on the continent. "These rules must reward real value creation in Europe," he said, signaling that Volkswagen wants trade policy tied directly to where meaningful production and innovation actually occur rather than to surface-level compliance.
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The comments come as Chinese automakers continue to expand their global footprint, offering competitively priced vehicles that have placed mounting pressure on legacy European brands. Volkswagen, which operates multiple plants across Germany and the broader EU, has a direct stake in how Brussels shapes industrial and trade policy in the automotive sector.
Blume's endorsement adds significant industry weight to the EU's push for policies designed to level the competitive landscape. European regulators have been wrestling with how best to protect domestic manufacturing while remaining compliant with international trade rules and avoiding retaliatory measures from major trading partners.
The debate over how Europe responds to Chinese automotive competition is expected to intensify as the Paris motor show draws global industry leaders and policymakers together this week. Continue reading at Business | The Guardian.
