Institutional game under anti-globalization: WTO compliance analysis of the new energy vehicle subsidy provisions in the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act and China’s countermeasures
逆全球化下的制度博弈：美国《通胀削减法案》新能源汽车补贴条款的WTO合规性分析及中国因应

摘要

本文旨在分析美国《通胀削减法案》中新能源汽车补贴条款的WTO合规性和全球影响，并探讨中国的应对策略。研究表明，该法案中购买新能源汽车的补贴规定，通过本地含量要求等歧视性措施，本质上构成了《补贴与反补贴措施协定》（SCM协定）所禁止的进口替代补贴，违反了1994年《关税与贸易总协定》（GATT 1994）下的最惠国待遇和国民待遇原则，且难以安全例外条款豁免。此举加剧了单边主义和逆全球化的趋势，扭曲了全球供应链分工，并对中国新能源汽车产业的长期发展构成挑战。因此，中国应通过WTO争端解决机制维护自身权利，加强国内产业链韧性，扩大国际合作，积极推动多边主义以应对对全球贸易体系的影响。

Abstract

This paper aims to analyze the WTO compliance and global impacts of the new energy vehicle subsidy provisions stipulated in the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act, and explore China’s coping strategies. The research indicates that the subsidy rules for new energy vehicle purchases under the Act adopt discriminatory measures such as local content requirements, which essentially constitute import substitution subsidies prohibited by the Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures (SCM Agreement). They violate the most-favored-nation treatment and national treatment principles under the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1994 (GATT 1994), and cannot be exempted by security exception clauses. This move has exacerbated unilateralism and the anti-globalization trend, distorted the division of global supply chains, and posed challenges to the long-term development of China’s new energy vehicle industry. Accordingly, China should safeguard its legitimate rights and interests through the WTO dispute settlement mechanism, strengthen the resilience of domestic industrial chains, expand international cooperation, and actively promote multilateralism to address the impacts on the global trading system.