The European Union plans to halve imports of hybrid vehicles from China through safeguard measures, according to people familiar with the discussions.

The bloc’s chief trade negotiator, Maros Sefcovic, told European officials that the proposed mechanism would require further discussions with EU leaders next week, although safeguard measures were the most likely option, the sources said on condition of anonymity.

The measures could take effect by December if approved, one of the sources added.

Safeguard measures typically involve tariff-rate quotas, which impose additional duties on imports exceeding a specified volume to limit excessive inflows.

The approach would comply with World Trade Organisation rules, a requirement emphasised by both the EU and China.

Sefcovic told officials that the proposed measures would reduce annual hybrid vehicle imports into the EU to about 400,000, down from an estimated 800,000 in 2026, one of the people said.

Bloomberg had earlier reported that the EU was preparing safeguard measures targeting hybrid vehicles from China.

Sefcovic met Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao in Beijing last week, after which both sides issued a joint statement announcing an “understanding on trade in hybrid vehicles in a WTO compliant manner”.

The EU trade chief is scheduled to brief the bloc’s ambassadors on Sunday, ahead of a meeting of EU leaders in Brussels on Thursday and Friday to discuss the next steps.