A major U.S. auto industry group is urging lawmakers to enact a lasting prohibition on Chinese vehicles.
Alliance for Automotive Innovation President John Bozzella told members of Congress Monday that the United States must shield its market from a surge of Chinese imports that pose surveillance threats and undercut domestic manufacturers with longstanding investments in American communities.
The Alliance for Automotive Innovation represents General Motors, Toyota, Volkswagen, and other major automakers.
“Given the obvious national security risk and China’s pattern of unfair behavior, Congress should protect our defense and advanced manufacturing base and stop Chinese automakers from doing here what they’ve gotten away with in Europe,” Bozzella said.
In the first eight months of 2026, the European Union imported more than 1.1 million vehicles from China, which is more than all of 2025, he said.
The Alliance for Automotive Innovation called on congressional leaders in September to act before Congress ends on Jan. 3, 2027.
In a letter to House and Senate leaders, Bozzella said China’s auto industry has benefited from unfair trade practices, government subsidies, intellectual property theft, and surveillance.
“Right now, Chinese automakers are dumping subsidized vehicles with connected software and hardware around the world,” Bozzella wrote, adding that China “is capturing market share” in Europe, Australia, Southeast Asia, Mexico and South America.
“This hasn’t happened inside the U.S. yet, but given the scale and urgency of this threat, we urge you to enact a Chinese vehicle, software, and hardware ban before adjourning this year and make this policy the law of the land.”
Senators, led by Sens. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) and Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio), were pushing in late September for bipartisan legislation that would ban Chinese vehicles from the U.S. market.
“Whether you are a Democrat or Republican, no one wants Chinese cars in America,” Slotkin said at a Capitol Hill press conference at the time.
In a Sept. 17 letter to the president, six trade associations representing major automakers, including Ford and Tesla, also urged Trump to maintain policies barring Chinese automakers from selling, importing, or manufacturing vehicles in the United States.
Chinese connected vehicles already face major barriers when entering the U.S. market. A Commerce Department rule adopted in January 2025 restricts certain connected vehicles, software, and hardware linked to China or Russia.
The restrictions cover software and Chinese- or Russian-connected-vehicle manufacturers and begin in model year 2027. Restrictions on covered hardware take effect with model year 2030.
The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee unanimously advanced legislation to ban China-linked smart vehicles in the United States on July 22.
The bipartisan legislation, called the Connected Vehicle Security Act of 2026, would codify into law a Biden-era executive order that effectively banned all Chinese and Russian automakers from selling passenger vehicles in the United States. An identical version is being considered in the House.
The rule targets connected vehicles that contain software or hardware linked to China or Russia, citing national security risks over vulnerabilities that could allow a U.S. adversary to access driver information or gain control of a vehicle. Almost all new vehicles come equipped with connectivity devices.
“Chinese cars are a serious threat to America’s national security and Michigan’s economic security,” Slotkin said in an April 29 statement. She said that Chinese cars are “surveillance packages on wheels, with the ability to collect on American citizens and sensitive sites.”
Reuters contributed to this report.
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