Auto Innovation Alliance Urges U.S. Congress to Pass Bill Permanently Banning Chinese Vehicle Imports

November 3 — The Alliance for Automotive Innovation, which represents automakers including General Motors, Toyota and Volkswagen, on Monday urged the U.S. Congress to pass a bill permanently banning Chinese vehicle imports during the session following November's midterm elections. In a letter to Congress, alliance head John Bozzella said imported Chinese vehicles pose surveillance risks and create competition for existing manufacturers investing in local communities. He cited data showing that the EU imported more than 1.1 million vehicles from China in the first eight months of 2026, already exceeding the total for all of 2025. The bill, titled the Connected Vehicle Safety Act of 2026, passed the Senate Commerce Committee unanimously with bipartisan support in July, and its House companion has more than 100 co-sponsors. The Senate had originally planned to advance it in September, but bipartisan sponsors agreed to postpone the vote until after the November midterm elections. Some congressional aides and industry lobbyists worry that if Democrats win control of Congress, there may not be enough time to complete the legislative process before this Congress adjourns in December. Trump said in an interview that he would accept Chinese automakers building factories and producing in the United States. Regulations introduced by the former Biden administration in early 2025 already bar Chinese automakers from selling or manufacturing passenger vehicles in the United States, and the U.S. maintains tariffs of more than 100% on Chinese electric vehicles. If the legislation pushed by the automaker alliance passes, it would convert the administrative ban into permanent law.