Overview
- President Trump told Fox News he would be open to Chinese car companies building factories in the United States provided they employ American workers and make cars domestically.
- He also reiterated that he has kept Chinese-made cars out of U.S. showrooms and pointed to high tariffs, including his claim of a 150% tariff, as barriers to imports.
- Federal rules and enforcement actions have already restricted Chinese connected-vehicle software on national-security grounds and a Commerce Department decision earlier this year blocked at least one model from entering the U.S. market.
- U.S. automakers and industry groups are urging Congress to pass laws to ban Chinese connected vehicles, and executives have held informal talks with administration officials about possible frameworks for safe investment.
- Any shift to allow Chinese firms to build here would take years, not weeks, and could affect U.S. jobs, supply chains and upcoming diplomatic talks with China while leaving current legal and regulatory barriers unresolved.