Detroit demands China car ban before Beijing gets through the gate

The Chinese car invasion America hasn't had — yet

America's auto industry is telling Congress to slam the door on Chinese-made cars before China gets the chance to establish a major foothold in the US market.

The Alliance for Automotive Innovation, which represents the American auto industry, is demanding a permanent ban on the sale, import and manufacture of Chinese connected vehicles.

Its warning is blunt: Beijing has already conquered chunks of the global car market and Washington should not wait until the same thing happens in America.

It's about more than cheap cars

The industry says China's automotive rise has been built on a combination of government subsidies, unfair trade practices, intellectual property theft and technology that could create surveillance risks.

Chinese manufacturers are rapidly expanding in Europe, Australia, Southeast Asia, Mexico and South America.

America, so far, has largely been the exception.

The industry's argument is essentially:

Keep it that way.

John Bozzella, the group's president and CEO, has urged Congress to act before the current congressional session ends in January.

The demand isn't merely for tariffs.

It is for a permanent legal barrier covering Chinese vehicles as well as potentially high-risk vehicle hardware and software.

Congress is already moving

This isn't coming completely out of the blue.

The Senate Commerce Committee approved legislation in July that would restrict vehicle sales by companies with more than 15 percent Chinese ownership.

And that is where things get interesting.

Under that proposal, Mercedes-Benz could potentially find itself caught in the net because Chinese investors own almost 20 percent of the German automaker.

Suddenly, a law aimed at Beijing starts creating headaches for Western manufacturers as well.

Democrats and Republicans agree

There is also something increasingly unusual about the politics.

The House has its own Connected Vehicle Security Act, introduced by Democrat Debbie Dingell and Republican John Moolenaar.

It has attracted dozens of bipartisan co-sponsors.

China policy is one of the few areas in Washington where Democrats and Republicans can still find substantial common ground.

The argument is straightforward: a modern car isn't simply a machine with four wheels.

It is a computer on wheels, stuffed with cameras, sensors, communications equipment, software and data.

That makes the origin of the technology a national-security question as well as an automotive one.

Beijing's biggest advantage

The underlying fear isn't necessarily that Chinese cars will suddenly flood American roads tomorrow.

It's what happens if they are allowed to establish themselves.

China has enormous manufacturing capacity, deep government support and increasingly competitive electric vehicles.

Once a foreign manufacturer has built a customer base, charging network, supply chain and service infrastructure, shutting it out becomes considerably harder.

The American auto industry clearly doesn't want to discover that lesson the expensive way.

Protectionism or national security?

There is another side to the argument.

A permanent ban would be a major protectionist measure, potentially raising questions about competition, consumer choice and America's wider trade relationship with China.

And if Washington starts defining ownership thresholds broadly enough, the consequences could reach well beyond Chinese carmakers.

Mercedes is the obvious warning sign.

The question Congress faces is therefore not simply:

“Do we want Chinese cars?”

It is:

“How much Chinese ownership and technology is America prepared to tolerate inside its automotive industry?”

Detroit wants the answer now

The auto industry's message is unmistakable.

Don't wait for Chinese manufacturers to arrive in force.

Don't wait until American consumers are buying millions of Chinese connected vehicles.

And don't wait until Washington discovers that banning them has become politically and economically impossible.

For Detroit, the Chinese car battle is best fought before the cars arrive.

Congress now has to decide whether this is sensible national-security policy — or another enormous trade wall being built around the American consumer.

Either way, Beijing has clearly got America's car industry looking nervously in the rear-view mirror.

SOURCE

“How much Chinese ownership and technology is America prepared to tolerate inside its automotive industry?”

What congress really means is "Lobbyists for the auto industry pay us to keep competition out of the US and the profits in the industry leaders' pockets."

They should be very afraid!

Twice the car for less then half the money!

Just compare a few to a Tesla and you will be amazed,there is no way the US auto industry can compete with the Chinese cars and there are many reasons.

Protecting a dying car industry? Why don't you just accept the fact that oil fueled cars are

an ancient concept?

Ban them on the grounds of national security.

Not only are they a threat to American jobs but they are basically mobile surveillance devices that can be shut down remotely at the press of a button.

Obviously anti-American communists and Doomsday cultists will support them.

If China is not allowed in .then ban Tesla from selling in China , OK i know they

are made there but its still an American company.

You can see why America does not want the competition , Chinese cars are arguably better made,

have much better spec and most importantly ,people would be able to afford them,if they came

in without crazy tariffs on them,

regards worgeordie

I wouldn't be seen dead driving a rice cooker.

The shame.

53 minutes ago, Cameroni said:

I wouldn't be seen dead driving a rice cooker.

The shame.

You know they used to say that about Japanese cars.

16 minutes ago, giddyup said:

You know they used to say that about Japanese cars.

Very true. I could not say if these Chinese cars are good or bad, though I have low confidence and given the choice between a German/Japanese/Korean/American/British/French car or a Chinese one, there is no chance in hell I would buy a Chinese car.

It's not just about cars, the car industry is the backbone of the British and German and French economy, anyone who buys a Chinese car is basically a traitor to their own country.

1 hour ago, Cameroni said:

I wouldn't be seen dead driving a rice cooker.

The shame.

Indeed.

Nothing says Cheap Charlie wannabee quite like a Chinese EV, ripped off from a European manufacturer's design.

It's like wearing a fake Rolex. 😄

Just now, JonnyF said:

Indeed.

Nothing says Cheap Charlie wannabee quite like a Chinese EV, ripped off from a European manufacturer's design.

It's like wearing a fake Rolex. 😄

They are such obvious copies! MG ripped off the Passat so bad you take a double look to make sure it's not a VW!

Xiaomi make no secret about having ripped off Porsche completely.

2 hours ago, Social Media said:

Detroit demands China car ban before Beijing gets through the gate

The Chinese car invasion America hasn't had — yet

America's auto industry is telling Congress to slam the door on Chinese-made cars before China gets the chance to establish a major foothold in the US market.

The Alliance for Automotive Innovation, which represents the American auto industry, is demanding a permanent ban on the sale, import and manufacture of Chinese connected vehicles.

Its warning is blunt: Beijing has already conquered chunks of the global car market and Washington should not wait until the same thing happens in America.

It's about more than cheap cars

The industry says China's automotive rise has been built on a combination of government subsidies, unfair trade practices, intellectual property theft and technology that could create surveillance risks.

Chinese manufacturers are rapidly expanding in Europe, Australia, Southeast Asia, Mexico and South America.

America, so far, has largely been the exception.

The industry's argument is essentially:

Keep it that way.

John Bozzella, the group's president and CEO, has urged Congress to act before the current congressional session ends in January.

The demand isn't merely for tariffs.

It is for a permanent legal barrier covering Chinese vehicles as well as potentially high-risk vehicle hardware and software.

Congress is already moving

This isn't coming completely out of the blue.

The Senate Commerce Committee approved legislation in July that would restrict vehicle sales by companies with more than 15 percent Chinese ownership.

Advertisement

And that is where things get interesting.

Under that proposal, Mercedes-Benz could potentially find itself caught in the net because Chinese investors own almost 20 percent of the German automaker.

Suddenly, a law aimed at Beijing starts creating headaches for Western manufacturers as well.

Democrats and Republicans agree

There is also something increasingly unusual about the politics.

The House has its own Connected Vehicle Security Act, introduced by Democrat Debbie Dingell and Republican John Moolenaar.

It has attracted dozens of bipartisan co-sponsors.

China policy is one of the few areas in Washington where Democrats and Republicans can still find substantial common ground.

The argument is straightforward: a modern car isn't simply a machine with four wheels.

It is a computer on wheels, stuffed with cameras, sensors, communications equipment, software and data.

That makes the origin of the technology a national-security question as well as an automotive one.

Beijing's biggest advantage

The underlying fear isn't necessarily that Chinese cars will suddenly flood American roads tomorrow.

It's what happens if they are allowed to establish themselves.

China has enormous manufacturing capacity, deep government support and increasingly competitive electric vehicles.

Once a foreign manufacturer has built a customer base, charging network, supply chain and service infrastructure, shutting it out becomes considerably harder.

Advertisement

The American auto industry clearly doesn't want to discover that lesson the expensive way.

Protectionism or national security?

There is another side to the argument.

A permanent ban would be a major protectionist measure, potentially raising questions about competition, consumer choice and America's wider trade relationship with China.

And if Washington starts defining ownership thresholds broadly enough, the consequences could reach well beyond Chinese carmakers.

Mercedes is the obvious warning sign.

The question Congress faces is therefore not simply:

“Do we want Chinese cars?”

It is:

“How much Chinese ownership and technology is America prepared to tolerate inside its automotive industry?”

Detroit wants the answer now

The auto industry's message is unmistakable.

Don't wait for Chinese manufacturers to arrive in force.

Don't wait until American consumers are buying millions of Chinese connected vehicles.

And don't wait until Washington discovers that banning them has become politically and economically impossible.

For Detroit, the Chinese car battle is best fought before the cars arrive.

Congress now has to decide whether this is sensible national-security policy — or another enormous trade wall being built around the American consumer.

Either way, Beijing has clearly got America's car industry looking nervously in the rear-view mirror.

Advertisement

SOURCE

Yay, go capitalism!!

19 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

It's like wearing a fake Rolex

So that's where I have been going wrong all these years!

42 minutes ago, giddyup said:

You know they used to say that about Japanese cars.

They said it about ALL Japanese products.

No one mentioned it yet, but Biden was into old Detroit cars so he slapped Americans who wanted to buy new Chinese EZVs upside the head.

Didn't make any sense to me. 🫪

Sad Detroit, coddled and still whining.

"Biden put a 100% tariff on Chinese EVs, and it's still in effect under Trump"

Important distinction: The 100% figure is the additional Section 301 tariff, not necessarily the vehicle's total tariff burden. Other duties can apply on top of it.

10 minutes ago, SiSePuede419 said:

No one mentioned it yet, but Biden was into old Detroit cars so he slapped Americans who wanted to buy new Chinese EZVs upside the head.

Didn't make any sense to me. 🫪

Sad Detroit, coddled and still whining.

"Biden put a 100% tariff on Chinese EVs, and it's still in effect under Trump"

Important distinction: The 100% figure is the additional Section 301 tariff, not necessarily the vehicle's total tariff burden. Other duties can apply on top of it.

When this happened did the liberal hivemind throw a wobbly and claim it was "just a tax on Americans"?

Liberals🤣

3 hours ago, Social Media said:

The Chinese car invasion America hasn't had — yet

Nor will it as there will never be a market in the US for Chinese vehicles.

2 hours ago, HappyExpat57 said:

What congress really means is "Lobbyists for the auto industry pay us to keep competition out of the US and the profits in the industry leaders' pockets."

Nothing wrong with that especially considering another attempt by China to flood its mostly junk products in another country.

It is myth that American cars cannot compete with Chinese cars technology wise. Cadillac has just produced an electric car that has had rave reviews around Europe and most of the world. The Chinese just undercut pricing.

2 hours ago, Cameroni said:

I wouldn't be seen dead driving a rice cooker.

What do you drive in th, or do you not drive here? My rice burner is a Japanese model and most certainly don’t plan on getting caught dead in it.

Just now, novacova said:

What do you drive in th, or do you not drive here? My rice burner is a Japanese model and most certainly don’t plan on getting caught dead in it.

An American car of course.

I read all the responses and so far it is mostly against the Chinese built cars!

It shows the hurt and it also shows you have nothing near the quality or price range to

compete against them.

Maybe instead of slagging off Chinese built cars you could build something to compete against them?

As of now you have nothing! A lot of soft excuses but no reasons!

Do better! complaining about it will not get you anywhere!

The bottom line is ,people will buy a car the can afford and rely on.

Just now, Cameroni said:

An American car of course.

From Nam era, or was the rice burner built here?

3 minutes ago, Cameroni said:

An American car of course.

How many Chinese parts are in your "American? car?

Or Canadian?

lol.

6 minutes ago, Cameroni said:

It is myth that American cars cannot compete with Chinese cars technology wise. Cadillac has just produced an electric car that has had rave reviews around Europe and most of the world. The Chinese just undercut pricing.

That means Caddy can not compete!

Just now, jvs said:

I read all the responses and so far it is mostly against the Chinese built cars!

It shows the hurt and it also shows you have nothing near the quality or price range to

compete against them.

Maybe instead of slagging off Chinese built cars you could build something to compete against them?

As of now you have nothing! A lot of soft excuses but no reasons!

Do better! complaining about it will not get you anywhere!

The bottom line is ,people will buy a car the can afford and rely on.

Chinese vehicle manufacturers don’t have a long term record like Japanese and other manufacturers do, though Chinese manufacturing companies do have a long history of producing cheap junk and flooding as much of it as possible into other countries. Cheap being the operative word here and motivation for its customers.

Edited 13 hours ago13 hr by novacova

1 hour ago, JonnyF said:

Indeed.

Nothing says Cheap Charlie wannabee quite like a Chinese EV, ripped off from a European manufacturer's design.

It's like wearing a fake Rolex. 😄

Is it kind of the same as wearing a maga hat made in China?

4 minutes ago, jvs said:

That means Caddy can not compete!

You need to read better, I said it's a myth that the US cannot compete technologically.

7 minutes ago, jvs said:

I read all the responses and so far it is mostly against the Chinese built cars!

It shows the hurt and it also shows you have nothing near the quality or price range to

compete against them.

Maybe instead of slagging off Chinese built cars you could build something to compete against them?

As of now you have nothing! A lot of soft excuses but no reasons!

Do better! complaining about it will not get you anywhere!

The bottom line is ,people will buy a car the can afford and rely on.

What's the point? Porsche built the best electric car ever made, the Taycan. Only to have Xiaomi then steal it and produce a copy for half the price.

1 minute ago, novacova said:

Chinese vehicle manufacturers don’t have a long term record like Japanese and other manufacturers do, though Chinese manufacturing companies do have a long history of producing cheap junk and flooding as much as possible into other countries.

Sure i give you that, remember the junk coming out of Japan?

Not junk anymore and the same will go for the Chinese cars.

In China they can build the same vehicle as in the US but much cheaper!

1 minute ago, Cameroni said:

You need to read better, I said it's a myth that the US cannot compete technologically.

Chinese are technocrooks, they’d be nowhere if they weren’t.

Edited 12 hours ago12 hr by novacova

Just now, Cameroni said:

What's the point? Porsche built the best electric car ever made, the Taycan. Only to have Xiaomi then steal it and produce a copy for half the price.

Again! The US can not compete! If the US would attempt to copy the same car it will cost double!