European Union officials say the duties are meant to protect the region’s automakers from what they say are unfair trade practices in China.

European Union countries have voted to impose duties on imports of electric vehicles from China, as talks continue between Brussels and Beijing to end the standoff before an end-of-October deadline.

Berlin warned the European Union on Friday against triggering a "trade war" with Beijing after members definitively backed extra tariffs on Chinese electric cars while German auto titans also voiced alarm.