Automakers Urge Congress to Permanently Ban Chinese Vehicles

The Alliance for Automotive Innovation, representing automakers including General Motors, Toyota and Volkswagen, is pressing Congress for a permanent ban on the sale, import and manufacture of Chinese connected vehicles, hardware and software before the 119th Congress ends. CEO John Bozzella made the case in a letter to House and Senate leaders, saying Chinese automakers are dumping subsidized connected vehicles abroad and capturing share in Europe, Australia, Southeast Asia, Mexico and South America with vehicles that can send data to the Chinese Communist Party; he said this has not happened inside the U.S. yet but cited the scale and urgency of the threat and China’s strategy to dominate global automotive manufacturing. A bipartisan bill from Sens. Bernie Moreno and Elissa Slotkin cleared the Senate Commerce Committee in July 2026; the House version has more than 100 co-sponsors. Sponsors agreed in September to delay fast-tracking until November. Bozzella pointed to EU imports of more than 1.1 million Chinese vehicles in the first eight months of 2026, above the full-year 2025 total. A Biden administration rule from early 2025 and tariffs exceeding 100% on Chinese EVs already limit entry. In September Trump told Fox News he would accept Chinese automakers manufacturing in the U.S., raising concern among established manufacturers. Mercedes-Benz’s Chinese investment has raised questions about broad ownership limits. Passage before December remains open.