Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer BYD is exploring plans to consolidate its partnerships in Romania and identify new opportunities for cooperation with the country's automotive ecosystem, the company said, as reported by SeeNews. The push comes as BYD's plant in Szeged, Hungary, close to the Romanian border, prepares to start series production by the end of this year, with four models destined for the European market to be built there, according to Romanian media reports.
Procurement sits at the heart of the Romanian drive. BYD executive Stella Li is searching Romania for component suppliers for the group's European factories, daily Cotidianul reported, and a decision on where to locate the carmaker's next two European production units is expected within a year. Euronews Romania adds that BYD also intends to organise a conference in Romania — a notable courtship of a country that lost the race to host the carmaker's vehicle factory to neighbouring Hungary.
Tariff economics reinforce the localisation strategy. Battery electric vehicles imported from China into the EU face duties ranging from 25 percent for Tesla — a 10 percent base tariff plus 15 percent — up to 45 percent, according to the Council on Foreign Relations, while BYD's total tariff stands at 27 percent, a level described as not prohibitive. With EU-built vehicles sidestepping the additional duty altogether, a Central European supply base becomes commercially compelling as Szeged ramps up.
