• 43% believe UK car makers need protection and 21% that the pricing of Chinese electric cars is unfair
• However, 19% say that consumers should have access to cheaper Chinese models, shows July’s Startline Used Car Tracker

July’s Startline Used Car Tracker shows that 43% believe we need to protect existing UK car manufacturers, 21% that Chinese car makers are subsidised by their government and their pricing is unfair, and 12% that we should impose a tariff that levels the market.

However, 21% say UK car manufacturers will be improved by more competition, 19% that consumers should have access to cheaper Chinese EVs, and 16% that access to any cheaper electric cars would help reduce carbon emissions.

In recent weeks, the US has imposed a 100% tariff on Chinese electric cars while the EU has put in place a range of tariffs on different Chinese manufacturers of up to 38%.

Paul Burgess, CEO at Startline Motor Finance, said: “The impact of introducing trade tariffs is often unpredictable and many experts in the US and EU are worried that the moves made there could lead to a trade war with China, who have yet to react.

“However, the idea of introducing stronger tariffs in the UK certainly has widespread public support, our research shows, and this could create pressure on the new government to introduce some form of protection here.

“It’s notable that across the EU, support for tariffs among car makers appears to be relatively low, with fears that they could lose at least some access to the huge Chinese market or see tariffs imposed on their own Chinese-manufactured vehicles, and the same appears to be true of at least some manufacturers in the UK.”

The Startline Used Car Tracker is compiled monthly for Startline Motor Finance by APD Global Research, well-known in the motor industry for their business intelligence reporting and customer experience programs. This time, 307 consumers and 62 dealers were questioned.