Chinese Car Sales Are Surging In Europe And U.S. Senators Want To Make Sure That Can’t Happen Here
Clearly, U.S. Senators are seeing what’s going on in the EU, and it’s making them go peepee and their pants. There’s a new effort by Michigan Democratic Senator Elissa Slotkin and Ohio Republican Senator Bernie Moreno to quickly win Senate approval of a permanent ban on Chinese vehicles. It comes just as President Trump meets with China’s President, Xi Jinping.
The bill, which is — if you think about it — anti-American in nature since it’s anti-consumer choice and thus, anti-capitalist, has a lot of momentum. A House version now has over 100 cosponsors while automakers and legislative aides hope to win passage this year. Slotkin and Moreno aim to win unanimous Senate approval for it this week. From Reuters:
“Whether you are a Democrat or Republican, no one wants Chinese cars in America,” she said at a Capitol Hill press conference, adding the measure’s authors are trying to identify any opponents and address their concerns.
A couple of Republican senators have already raised some concerns, a congressional aide told Reuters, adding that it was not yet clear whether they will object.
A notice sent to offices of Democratic senators said Moreno intended to seek unanimous consent for the bill this week.
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China has strongly opposed the US vehicle ban and efforts to make it permanent.
Earlier this month, Trump told Fox News he would accept Chinese car companies building cars in the United States, sparking alarm among automakers.
Slotkin said allowing this would mark “the beginning of the end of auto manufacturing in the United States.”
Last week, automakers, suppliers and dealers urged Trump “to maintain policies that keep the door firmly shut to Chinese automakers seeking to sell, import or manufacture vehicles inside the US”
A regulation imposed by former President Joe Biden’s administration in early 2025 effectively banned all Chinese automakers from selling or building passenger vehicles in the US because they could send sensitive driver data to China. Washington also maintains more than 100% tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles.
The bill, which has 51 Senate supporters, would make the ban into law and prevent the White House from issuing waivers to Chinese vehicles to sell vehicles in the United States.
A letter from industry big-timers like Ford, General Motors, Hyundai, Stellantis, Tesla, Toyota, Volkswagen and a slew of others argued that Chinese investment wouldn’t create new American jobs. Instead, it would “shift jobs away from manufacturers that have made generational investments in the US and toward companies owned and operated by the Chinese government.” Bluetooth, Wifi, cellular connectivity, and some satellite communications technologies are covered under the rules based on national security concerns based on the idea that these vehicles could collect sensitive data on American owners. Of course, I’m writing this on my Chinese-made laptop, and you’re reading this on your Chinese-made phone.
