THE European Commission has rejected offers by Chinese electric-vehicle (EV) makers to adjust their prices in a bid to avoid sharply higher tariffs ahead of potentially pivotal talks between Beijing and Brussels, reports London's Financial Times.

The tariffs were announced after a months-long probe launched by commission president Ursula von der Leyen that sharply increased trade tensions between the 27-member bloc and China.

EU officials have said the tariffs are needed to protect European manufacturers from being undercut by low-cost, China-made EVs that it says are unfairly subsidised by Beijing.

Olof Gill, the commission's trade spokesman, said the commission had rejected "offers for price undertakings" by several Chinese auto exporters, but that Europe remained "open to a negotiated solution".