Sebastian Lechner, the CDU state chairman of Lower Saxony, is urging the European Union to quickly impose import tariffs on Chinese hybrid cars. He said hybrids are currently facing the greatest import pressure from Chinese automakers and cited an OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) study saying subsidies account for approximately 60% of the market share held by Chinese products abroad. Lechner described the subsidies as a distortion of competition and called for the European Commission and the German federal government to adjust trade policy toward China. The issue is particularly important in Lower Saxony because of the Wolfsburg-based Volkswagen Group. Import duties are already in place for electric cars from China, but Lechner said tariffs on Chinese hybrids should be introduced quickly.