EU to decide on France’s protest of Korean car imports

The European Union will decide next week whether to accept France’s claim that its auto market has been hit by a surge in imports of Korean vehicles, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said yesterday.

In response to a request by France in July, the European Commission was scheduled to decide later in the day whether to put Korean cars on a prior surveillance list, which could trigger a safeguard measure against imports. According to the ministry, the EU is delaying its decision until Monday.

Seoul claims that vehicles exported to France are manufactured in the EU rather than being shipped from Korea. It also stresses that imports of European cars into Asia’s fourth-largest economy surged after the free trade deal came into effect. Yonhap