Buoys will be placed around the construction area to designate areas in which watercraft can safely travel. Access to Atherton Cove and Smith Canal will be maintained throughout construction. Weber Avenue (except for special events at Morelli Park).Ģ023 in-water work started in July. During the closure, public boat ramp access will be provided free of charge at the Marina Boat Launch at Morelli Park, 1025 W. The closure will not affect other portions of Louis Park. The Louis Park Boat Launch, related parking area and Dad’s Point (3121 Monte Diablo Avenue) will remain closed to protect the public’s safety during construction of the Smith Canal Gate Project. Questions about the project? Please call our Project Hotline at (209) 487-1387. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.Smith Canal Gate Project Update - July 2023 This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at for further information. Thanks so much for being with us.Ĭopyright © 2023 NPR. SIMON: NPR's Berlin correspondent Rob Schmitz. And that's not something Germany needs, especially now as its economy - and this is Europe's largest economy - is showing signs of contracting. SCHMITZ: And, Scott, should this EU investigation result in tariffs on Chinese cars, these German automakers would be an easy target for retaliation from China. I guess it's 12 times bigger than the German market, and we are in car country. And China is by far the largest market in the world, as you know. He says, on one hand, German automakers would love less competition here in Europe from China.īURKHARD RIERING: But on the other hand, they have to fear a retaliation on the Chinese market. I spoke to Burkhard Riering, editor-in-chief of Germany's Automobile Weekly, about this. SCHMITZ: Well, unlike French carmakers, who almost have zero presence in China, Germany's biggest automakers - we're talking about VW, Mercedes and BMW - they're doing very good business in China, and they do not want to upset that. SIMON: And what about Germany? It certainly has a vigorous auto industry. They've been pressuring von der Leyen to launch this investigation because they feel threatened by these Chinese cars entering their market here on their home turf. French automakers are angry - very angry - about this. SIMON: The French certainly are, though, aren't they? You know, but it's interesting, these countries don't seem to be complaining too much about the threat of these Chinese electric vehicles. People are starting to see more Chinese cars in Norway, the Netherlands, Belgium. But they are starting to appear in countries that have built the best infrastructure for electric vehicles in Europe. And I would notice them because I used to ride in them for years when I reported from China. SIMON: Do you see more Chinese electric vehicles on the highway, say, in Germany where you are? And this sounds an awful lot like the beginning of a reelection campaign. One reason this might be coming now is because Ursula von der Leyen's term as president is up next year. You know, a lot of people are saying this should be a short investigation. SCHMITZ: Yeah, this is - none of this is a surprise. Why is the EU raising this complaint now? SIMON: Rob, as I don't have to tell you, China has state industries. And it warned it'll have a negative impact on China-EU trade relations. Its Commerce Ministry called this investigation a, quote, "naked protectionist act" that'll distort the global auto industry supply chain. SCHMITZ: Well, China was pretty quick to respond. SCHMITZ: And, Scott, von der Leyen says that's why the EU is now launching an investigation into this. And as we do not accept this distortion from the inside in our market, we do not accept this from the outside. URSULA VON DER LEYEN: This is distorting our market. And this was sort of the standout section of von der Leyen's state of the union speech this week. And that's made it easier for them to sell cars outside of China for cheaper prices than cars made by automakers in the local markets they're exporting them to. According to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, China's government is funneling state money into its electric vehicle companies. What's the problem the EU has with Chinese electric vehicles? SIMON: It seems like every automaker is certainly trying to move to electric vehicles. NPR's Rob Schmitz joins us now from Berlin. The European Union has accused China of dumping cheap, government-subsidized electric cars on its market, contending that it's unfair for European automakers. There's a battle between Europe and China that's brewing over electric vehicles.
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