What Beijing changed On 12 February 2026, China's commerce ministry did something quietly consequential: it accepted that Chinese electric vehicle manufacturers could negotiate independently with the European Union, rather than as a coordinated bloc. This followed a Volkswagen breakthrough — the European Commission approved a request to exempt its Cupra Tavascan SUV, manufactured in China, from EU EV tariffs — which immediately signalled to other Chinese automakers that bilateral deals were available for the asking. The European Commission has since published formal guidance for Chinese automakers seeking alternatives to countervailing duties through price undertaking offers. The framework requires minimum import price commitments, simple sales channel structures, and optional pledges for EU investment. On paper, it looks orderly. In practice, it has opened a negotiating bazaar. What does this mean for European founders and investors? The tariff wall that was supposed to buy European automakers time to compete is now…