House Lawmakers Move to Tighten Ban on Chinese Vehicles as Trump Heads to China
Updated
Updated · Reuters · May 11
House Lawmakers Move to Tighten Ban on Chinese Vehicles as Trump Heads to China
6 articles · Updated · Reuters · May 11
Two House lawmakers plan to introduce a bill on Monday that would harden U.S. barriers against Chinese vehicles entering the American passenger-car market.
The measure would write Biden-era rules into law and bar China-designed vehicles with advanced connectivity or vehicle software, extending a January 2025 crackdown driven by data-security concerns.
John Moolenaar and Debbie Dingell are backing the House bill after a bipartisan Senate version was introduced last month, signaling broad support for a tougher line.
Major auto trade groups representing the Detroit Three, Volkswagen, Hyundai and Toyota urged Washington in March to keep Chinese carmakers out, calling them a threat to U.S. competitiveness and national security.
The push comes despite high existing tariffs and rising U.S. consumer interest in Chinese vehicles, and just before Trump travels to China after saying in January he was open to Chinese automakers building in the United States.
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2026 U.S. Legislation Targets Chinese Connected Cars: National Security, Economic Risks, and Industry Fallout
Overview
In May 2026, Congress introduced the Connected Vehicle Security Act to strengthen national security by expanding restrictions on connected vehicle technology from China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran. This bipartisan move builds on earlier Commerce Department rules from January 2025, which already limited imports tied to China and Russia. Lawmakers argue the new legislation is vital to prevent adversarial nations from accessing sensitive vehicle data or remotely controlling vehicles. While the goal is to protect U.S. automakers from unfair foreign competition, the auto industry is concerned about the challenges of reducing reliance on global supply chains, especially for critical components.