The European Commission will postpone its decision on Chinese electric vehicle tariffs until after the European election on June 9, German magazine Spiegel reported on Wednesday, citing sources familiar with the matter.
The provisional tariffs, expected to be announced by June 5, will be a sticker shock representing billions of dollars in new costs for Chinese electric car makers.
The delay aims to keep the issue out of the election campaign phase, Spiegel said.
The European Commission was not immediately available for comment.
The investigation, officially launched on Oct. 4, can last up to 13 months. The Commission can impose provisional anti-subsidy duties nine months after the start of the probe.
The European Commission has warned three Chinese electric vehicle makers that they have not supplied sufficient information for its anti-subsidy investigation, two people familiar with the case told Reuters earlier this month.
