China's commerce ministry shifted its stance on Thursday by accepting that Chinese electric vehicle makers can negotiate independently with the European Union, after Volkswagen secured a tariff reprieve for one of its China-made SUV models. The European Commission, which oversees trade policy for the 27-strong bloc, this week approved a requestby the German auto giant's Cupra brand to exempt the Tavascan SUV coupe from import tariffs in exchange for an agreed minimum price and a sales quota - the first exemption since the duties' adoption in 2024.