The European Union is bracing for retaliation from China after the bloc voted last week to impose tariffs on the import of Chinese electric vehicles, or EVs, amid speculation that Beijing could seek to target individual European countries that voted for the measures.

The European Union’s decision to impose tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles has moved the focus to how and when Beijing will retaliate for the escalation in its biggest trade dispute with the bloc in years.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's rejection of EU tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles failed to stop fellow European Union members voting in favour, exposing how a divided Berlin is struggling to drive EU policy.