The EU's trade chief, Valdis Dombrovskis, said Thursday he had held "constructive" talks with China's commerce minister, Wang Wentao, as Beijing seeks a deal with Brussels to avoid steep tariffs on imported electric vehicles.

The European Commission and China agreed to intensify efforts to avert EU import tariffs on China-built electric vehicles and could re-examine a minimum-price deal previously rejected by the EU, the Commission said on Thursday.

The European Union and China agreed Thursday to intensify discussions as the two sides seek ways to avert looming tariffs on electric cars ahead of a deadline that’s only days away.

China and the EU have agreed to re-examine the possibility of Chinese automakers selling electric vehicles (EV) for a minimum price to avoid definitive tariffs of up to 35.3%,

The trade dispute involving electric vehicle (EV) exports from China to the European Union (EU) continues to draw widespread attention, with just over a month to go before the EU reaches a decision regarding the definitive duties it plans to impose on Chinese EVs.

China's commerce minister said on Wednesday that Beijing will continue to negotiate "until the last minute" on the European Union's electric vehicle probe, with the investigation undermining confidence of Chinese companies investing in Europe.

Brussels and Beijing have agreed to take a new look at price undertakings, which could avoid extra tariffs on China-made electric vehicles.