It's a case of déjà vu all over again. A looming cliff-edge on trade in electric vehicles between Britain and the EU is bringing back memories of the toughest Brexit talks: a stubborn France, a more flexible Germany and looming tariffs if a timely solution can't be found, reports Politico.
This time, though, there are more shades of grey, especially as UK prime minister Rishi Sunak heralded a new era of UK-EU relations.
But that can quickly change if trade tensions rise.
The issue at hand is a 10 percent tariff due to be imposed from January on vehicles that do not conform to stricter rules on sourcing inputs for electric vehicle batteries.
The UK raised the alarm on the hit that would result in to carmakers on both sides of the Channel and pushed for a deadline extension to give them time to adapt. Its officials also raised that question formally at a meeting with their EU counterparts on Wednesday.
London has found an ally in Germany, whose car industry is already under pressure.