The Ministry of Commerce Photo: VCG

China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) said in a statement on Saturday that the electric vehicle (EV) price commitment negotiations between China and the EU have entered the final stage, though further efforts are still required from both parties. 

The comments were made regarding Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao's meeting with EU Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security Maros Sefcovic in France on June 3.

According to the statement, both sides held focused, candid, and in-depth discussions on urgent and important issues, including the EU's anti-subsidy probe into Chinese EVs, China's anti-dumping probe on EU brandy, and export controls. Both sides called on their working teams to intensify efforts in preparing for this year's major China-EU economic and trade agenda.

Regarding the EV case, the two sides held professional and substantive discussions, advancing the case significantly toward a proper resolution, it said.  

The EU side proposed exploring new technical approaches in parallel, and the Chinese side will evaluate the feasibility of these proposals from both legal and technical perspectives, said MOFCOM. 

The Global Times reported in late May that Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao will meet EU Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security Maros Sefcovic on the sidelines of a WTO ministerial meeting in Paris, France in early June, citing a source familiar with the matter. 

"The two sides will conduct in-depth exchanges on the important topic of China-EU economic and trade cooperation, and make preparations for China-EU high-level exchanges," the source said.