Macron opens Paris Motor Show amid crisis for French carmakers

The French president called for tariffs on Chinese EVs and a united European strategy as the auto industry struggles.

Transcript

00:00As France and the EU grapple with a severe car industry crisis, French President Emmanuel

00:13Macron inaugurated on Monday the 90th edition of the Paris Motor Show.

00:18It's one of the most important events within the automobile industry.

00:22And just to give you a few numbers about this crisis that is hitting France, particularly

00:27new car registrations have been plummeting within the country these past few months,

00:32reaching their lowest level in 20 years.

00:35And we're seeing similar trends across Europe, minus 18 percent in new car registrations

00:41in August.

00:42And major players within the French automobile industry, such as for example Michelin, have

00:48even paused production at some of their specialty tire factories in France.

00:53The French president did mention this difficult moment for French and EU carmakers due in

00:59part to the ferocious competition from Chinese rivals.

01:03He did say on Monday that it is necessary in times like these to protect France.

01:08It's normal to put in place tariffs, he said, alluding to the EU Commission's plan to heavily

01:14tax cheap electric vehicles that are produced by Chinese carmakers and that have been flooding

01:21the EU market and driving the prices down.

01:25Sofia Katsenkova, reporting from Paris for Euronews.