Carmakers again urge US Congress to pass law that permanently bans Chinese vehicles before session ends

According to a report by Reuters, a group representing nearly all major automakers has once again called on United States lawmakers to pass a permanent ban on Chinese vehicles when they return next week for a quick session after the midterm congressional elections. This comes after Senate sponsors of the bipartisan effort to ban Chinese vehicles agreed in September to delay expediting the bill until November despite overwhelming support.

“We need to protect the US market from a flood of Chinese imports that carry surveillance risk and disadvantage current manufacturers that have made generational investments in ⁠American communities,” said John Bozzella, who heads the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, which represents General Motors, Toyota, Volkswagen and other automakers.

At present, Chinese automakers face a 100% tariff on electric vehicles and they are also forbidden from selling in the US due to data and security concerns, both measures implemented under the previous Joe Biden administration along with a law that disqualifies electric vehicles (EVs) from receiving federal tax credits if battery components or critical minerals originate from China-linked companies.

Earlier this year, both the Connected Vehicle Security Act and Protecting America from Chinese Cars Act were proposed to further restrict any possibility of Chinese entrants. The former focuses on technology, cybersecurity, and data sovereignty and was passed by a Senate committee in July – it is now pending a full Senate floor vote.

Meanwhile, the Protecting America from Chinese Cars Act concentrates on trade enforcement, corporate structure, and supply chain loopholes. This explicitly bars Chinese vehicles from entering the US via free-trade partners like Mexico or Canada, while also preventing cars designed, manufactured or distributed by entities with 15% or higher ownership by a Chinese parent company or state-backed firm to be sold.

“Given the obvious national security risk and China’s pattern of unfair behaviour, Congress should protect our defence and advanced manufacturing base and stop Chinese automakers from doing here what they’ve gotten away with ⁠in Europe,” Bozzella commented, citing the European Union that imported over 1.1 million vehicles from China in the first eight months of 2026 – more than all of 2025.

The concern among lobbyists is if there is enough time for the ban to be approved before the current Senate session end just after the middle of December this year.

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