The European Commission on Thursday said it “welcomes” US guidelines on a green subsidy scheme for commercial vehicles, after officials outlined their implementation under a landmark spending bill the country passed earlier this year.
The US Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) contains about US$370 billion in subsidies for green energy, as well as tax cuts for US-made electric vehicles and batteries.
European countries have been unsettled by parts of the policy, which lavishes benefits on US buyers of electric vehicles if they “Buy American” — seeing the act as discriminatory against European automakers.
Photo: Reuters
However, guidance released on Thursday regarding commercial clean vehicle credits “reaffirms” that EU companies can still make some gains, the EU Commission said in a statement.
“EU companies that provide their customers through leases with cutting-edge clean vehicles can benefit from the incentives under the IRA,” the commission said, adding that companies would “immediately benefit from the new guidance.”
However, a separate segment of the act involving clean vehicle credits continues to contain “discriminatory provisions,” it said.
In documents published on Thursday, the US Department of the Treasury outlined electric vehicle models that could qualify for a tax credit of up to US$7,500 starting next month.
Officials laid out how parties can comply with requirements on critical minerals and battery components, although saying the final rules would only come into play in March.
A treasury official said the delay was due to time needed to work through complexities of the law, and understand concerns of industry players and members of the US Congress.
The new electric vehicles must be assembled in North America, including Canada and Mexico, to qualify, according to guidelines.
However, US Senator Joe Manchin on Thursday recommended a “pause” on implementing electric vehicle tax credits, warning that this “bends to the desires of the companies looking for loopholes.”
“I call on Treasury to pause the implementation of both commercial and new consumer EV tax credits until they have issued the appropriate guidance,” said Manchin, who is chairman of the US Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.
He added that he would introduce further legislation when Congress returns, and warned of dependence on other countries like China and Russia.
US President Joe Biden said this month, during a visit by French President Emmanuel Macron, that the IRA was never intended to disadvantage US allies.
In a white paper also released on Thursday, treasury officials signaled that more countries producing critical minerals could be considered eligible suppliers under the rules.
“Treasury and the [US Internal Revenue Service] expect to propose that the secretary may identify additional free trade agreements for purposes of the critical minerals requirement,” the document said.
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