Recap:

On November 3, the Thai Cabinet formally passed the adjustment plan for electric vehicle consumption tax; the new regulations will be implemented starting January 1, 2027; the new regulations require the import consumption tax for pure electric vehicles to be raised from 10% to 35%, and the import consumption tax for extended-range vehicles to be raised from 15% to 35%; new energy vehicles locally assembled and produced in Thailand using the CKD model retain the preferential consumption tax rate of 2%. This adjustment is not an import tariff adjustment under the ASEAN free trade framework, but a change in consumption tax policy.

The starting point is very clear, namely to encourage overseas car manufacturers to build factories in Thailand and bring their supply chains.

The intention is clear, but why do this?

Is there suspicion of targeting Chinese car manufacturers?

Some netizens expressed dissatisfaction with Thailand's adjustment of electric vehicle consumption tax, believing there is an obvious intention of "targeting"; however, if it is detrimental to the development of Thailand's local automotive industry, targeting is not wrong. The prerequisite for Chinese car manufacturers exporting cars to overseas markets must be to comply with the competition rules of the targeted market, not to break others' rules; however, relying on industrial scale advantages and labor cost advantages, the electric vehicles they create can be exported to Thailand or other overseas markets at low prices, so their locally produced automotive products may lose market share.

What is this?

This is dumping.

"Price wars" have also been called off domestically, and certainly cannot be done recklessly in overseas markets; otherwise, once dumping is formed and strikes the local automotive industry, others will naturally be unwilling, followed by the establishment of so-called barriers through tariff adjustments. The automotive industry has the most related industries, and the employment positions brought are also very considerable, so developing the automotive industry becomes the national strategy of many countries; thus, any behavior that may damage the development of the local automotive industry is bound to encounter resistance, from this perspective, Thailand's approach can also be understood.

However, there is still a way to continue to expand the share of Chinese cars in overseas markets, that is to build factories locally and bring the supply chain.

This can both create taxes and jobs locally, and may also help the development of its local automotive industry. Of course, this joint venture factory building model will also share part of the profits, but this is the business rule, only win-win cooperation can go far, otherwise, the door of access will eventually be closed.

Just like Volkswagen, General Motors, Toyota, Honda, Nissan, and other car manufacturers, they enter the Chinese market in a joint venture mode, bringing technology and advanced models, while also sharing part of the profits. But if there were no this market, this part of the profits would not exist.

Moreover, even for wholly-owned factories, such as Tesla's Shanghai Superfactory, its localization rate has already exceeded 95%.

This is mutual benefit and win-win.

For Chinese new energy vehicles to truly broaden the overseas expansion track, merely going out is not enough; only by rooting in the overseas market can they truly ensure stable and long-term progress.