China has moved forward with a complaint at the World Trade Organization that alleges the European Union has improperly set anti-subsidy tariffs on new Chinese-made electric vehicles.The Chinese diplomatic mission to the WTO said Monday it “strongly opposes” the measures and insisted its move was designed to protect the EV industry and support a global transition toward greener technologies.

The levies range between 8% and 35% depending on the manufacturer — on top of an existing 10% tariff — and are set to remain in place for the next five years.

Any agreement reached with Chinese producers on minimum prices for electric vehicles would need to be as effective and enforceable as the EU tariffs that were imposed last week, the likely future European Union trade chief said on Monday.