Volvo CEO rejects Navarro’s attack on Chinese automakers
Håkan Samuelsson said BYD and Geely have earned their EV gains through strategy, not the unfair practices alleged by Peter Navarro.
By Sofia Marchetti · World Affairs Correspondent
3 min read
Volvo Cars CEO Håkan Samuelsson challenged a senior White House trade adviser’s attack on Chinese carmakers, saying companies such as BYD have gained ground because they made the right bets in electric vehicles. His comments matter because Chinese brands are pressing into Europe and remain central to political fights over tariffs, subsidies and industrial policy.
Samuelsson was responding to Peter Navarro, who wrote in Politico on Thursday that Europe had been slow to respond as Chinese manufacturers expanded their share of the auto market. Navarro singled out BYD and described it as an example of what he called China’s “pirate business model.”
Asked about Navarro’s criticism, Samuelsson said the language went too far, according to Fortune. He said Chinese manufacturers had built real advantages rather than relying only on unfair competition.
Samuelsson made the remarks in an interview after Volvo Cars reported second-quarter results on Friday, Fortune reported. He pointed to Chinese companies’ control of key parts of the electric-vehicle business, including batteries, software and other parts of the automotive supply chain.
BYD and Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, Volvo Cars’ majority owner, have become two of China’s leading automakers. Samuelsson said both companies were likely to stay among the stronger players as China’s crowded auto market thins out over time, according to Fortune.
He also said established European premium brands now have to treat the strongest Chinese EV manufacturers as industry leaders. Samuelsson placed them alongside long-standing names such as Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz, Fortune reported.
Navarro’s Politico commentary argued that Chinese automakers were using a model built on copying, subsidies, rapid expansion and low-priced exports to dominate foreign markets. The comments fit into a broader debate in the United States and Europe over how to respond to China’s fast-growing EV sector.
Chinese automakers have continued to push further into Europe even after the European Union raised tariffs on electric vehicles made in China. BYD is also introducing Denza, its premium brand, across the region, according to Fortune.
Volvo Cars sits in the middle of that debate because of its ownership structure. The company is based in Gothenburg, Sweden, but is majority-owned by Geely, one of China’s biggest auto groups.
The automaker recently received U.S. approval to keep selling connected vehicles despite its Chinese ownership, Fortune reported. That decision removed a major regulatory question for Volvo Cars at a time when Washington is scrutinizing Chinese links in automotive technology.
Samuelsson’s response shows the split between political criticism of China’s auto sector and the view from some industry executives. Volvo’s chief framed Chinese EV makers as tough competitors whose success reflects execution in technology and manufacturing, rather than dismissing their rise as the product of predatory trade practices.
This story draws on original reporting from Fortune.