{"text":[[{"start":16.04,"text":"US carmakers have accused Brussels of keeping their largest pick-up trucks, including the Ford F-150, the Chevy Silverado and the Ram 1500, off European roads, with one executive claiming the EU is in “a better position” than the US in Donald Trump’s trade war."}],[{"start":36.94,"text":"The clash over the supersized US pick-up trucks, which account for less than 0.1 per cent of the European car market, threatens to overshadow a broader trade deal in which Trump has agreed to cut tariffs on European imports from 27.5 to 15 per cent."}],[{"start":55.489999999999995,"text":"The agreement was finalised last year but the EU has delayed its ratification. "}],[{"start":62.23,"text":"“Right now Europe is in a better position than the US,” said an executive at one Detroit carmaker, if the EU secured lower tariffs and US vehicles were shut out."}],[{"start":74.17,"text":"The EU agreed last August to reduce its tariffs on US vehicles from 10 per cent to zero, while the US will charge 15 per cent on EU car imports."}],[{"start":86.92,"text":"In a separate interview with the FT, Andrew Puzder, the US ambassador to the bloc, said that EU plans to change safety rules could breach the spirit of the trade deal if they prevented some American vehicles from being sold in Europe."}],[{"start":102.96000000000001,"text":"The dispute centres on the EU’s Individual Vehicle Approval scheme, which allows certain bespoke or rare models, including those produced for other markets, to be imported under less stringent standards. "}],[{"start":116,"text":"US carmakers sold about 7,000 SUVs and pick-up trucks in Europe under the scheme in 2024, according to the environmental campaign group Transport & Environment."}],[{"start":129.09,"text":"The European Commission is now close to finalising changes to tighten the scheme, which US carmakers fear would shut out the small number of large pick-up trucks currently allowed."}],[{"start":141.84,"text":"The changes, they claim, would run counter to the trade deal, under which the EU agreed not only to cut tariffs on US imports to zero but also to recognise American car standards, opening the door to more US-built vehicles. "}],[{"start":158.92000000000002,"text":"“We would hope . . . issues like the IVA will be resolved in the spirit and consistent with the terms of that agreement,” Puzder said. “You can’t have low tariffs and massive non-tariff trade barriers and claim you’ve got a functioning relationship.”"}],[{"start":175.85000000000002,"text":"The executive at the US carmaker said: “The US administration is aware that not only is Europe dragging its feet on the trade agreement, but they’re also looking at restricting US products and limiting customer choice in Europe.”"}],[{"start":191.03000000000003,"text":"In an earlier letter to commerce secretary Howard Lutnick, the American Automotive Policy Council, the lobby group for Ford, Chevrolet-owner General Motors and Stellantis, which owns the Ram trucks brand, urged the Trump administration to block the EU’s move to tighten the IVA rules."}],[{"start":211.93000000000004,"text":"The Commission initiated a reform of the scheme in 2024 to close loopholes it said could allow unsafe cars on EU roads. The launch of the revised scheme is expected in 2027."}],[{"start":225.93000000000004,"text":"Since the EU-US trade deal was finalised, the Transport & Environment group has warned that allowing more “monster” US pick-up trucks on European roads would increase the risks for pedestrians, cyclists and other drivers. "}],[{"start":241.92000000000004,"text":"Of the 7,000 American pick-up trucks sold in the EU in 2024, Ram accounted for nearly 5,200. “Ram bonnets are so high that children aged up to nine years old standing directly in front cannot be seen by the average driver,” it said."}],[{"start":261.15000000000003,"text":"The bloc’s move to tighten its rules stands in contrast to Japan’s decision to allow vehicles deemed safe by American regulators to be imported into the country without additional safety tests."}],[{"start":275.83000000000004,"text":"The European Commission, GM and Ford declined to comment. Ram did not immediately respond to a request for comment. "}],[{"start":294.80000000000007,"text":""}]],"url":"https://audio.ftcn.net.cn/album/a_1775718007_3428.mp3"}