Michigan Lawmakers Introduce Connected Vehicle Security Act To Ban Chinese-Made Vehicles Ahead Of Trump-Xi Meeting

Bipartisan lawmakers in Michigan introduced the Connected Vehicle Security Act to ban Chinese-made "connected vehicles," software and hardware from the U.S. market ahead of President Donald Trump’s meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

“The perspective still seems distant, but Chinese brands are preparing to conquer the American market”

Auto Infos

Republican U.S. Rep. John Moolenaar of Caledonia and Democratic Rep. Debbie Dingell of Ann Arbor said the bill would protect manufacturing sector jobs and the American people from China’s "predatory trade practices and manipulative attacks on American industry," and Dingell said, "And we will fight this with all of our might in a very bipartisan way."

Auto Infos

The proposal mirrors a Senate effort by Sens. Elissa Slotkin and Bernie Moreno that would ban internet-connected vehicles, software and hardware linked to China or other adversaries.

The legislation would codify Biden-era connected vehicle restrictions over national security and data collection concerns, with software prohibitions taking effect Jan. 1, 2027 and hardware restrictions beginning Jan. 1, 2030.

In parallel, U.S. manufacturers urged Trump to keep Chinese vehicles out, warning that if Chinese automakers ship excess stock to the United States, "our auto supply chain will collapse under the weight of these dumped vehicles," according to Scott Paul of the Alliance for American Manufacturing.

The push for restrictions comes as Trump has signaled openness to Chinese automakers building plants in the United States, telling the Detroit Economic Club in January, "If they want to come in, and build the plant, and hire you and hire your friends and your neighbors, that's great."

Dingell said lawmakers were trying to send Trump a message, adding, "So what we're all trying to do is to send a message to him," while the Detroit News reported the proposal is a House companion to a Senate bill introduced last month by Slotkin and Moreno.

Automobile Propre

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said the auto industry employs "half a million Michiganders" and warned that letting cheap, government-subsidized Chinese vehicles into the country puts that at risk, calling it "a national security problem, too."

Whitmer argued that "The software in these vehicles can use data gathering to supply China with countless pieces of information about Americans," and she said the same pattern is happening in Europe, Canada, and Mexico.

On the industry side, leaders of five major automotive lobbying and trade groups wrote to four of Trump’s top officials in March to underscore "our serious concerns about China’s ongoing efforts to dominate global automotive manufacturing and to gain access to the U.S. market."

Supporters of the Connected Vehicle Security Act frame the stakes around national security and the structure of the U.S. auto market, with Dingell and Moolenaar seeking to solidify barriers to China building its U.S. automotive presence on both economic and national security grounds.

“Donald Trump ready to welcome Chinese carmakers to the United States, but not without a few conditions”

Autoplus

Axios reported that the Biden administration imposed a 100% tariff on Chinese EV imports and moved to ban Chinese connected vehicle technology, while Trump has "sporadically" suggested he’d be open to China building U.S. manufacturing plants, including for automobiles.

Politico captured the political anxiety around BYD, quoting Rep. Don Beyer saying, "The only thing that terrifies me is BYD," and warning that the fact that it is "so inexpensive would destroy every other car company’s investment in electric vehicles."

The Washington Post’s analysis framing referenced lawmakers pushing to ban Chinese cars as Trump heads to Beijing, while CNBC said connected-vehicle restrictions are tied to national security and data collection concerns.

Meanwhile, Mexico Business News reported that Elissa Slotkin told a Detroit event, “Please do not make a bad deal,” and it said the Connected Vehicle Security Act would grant the Department of Commerce authority to block technologies deemed high-risk, with software restrictions taking effect in 2027 and hardware restrictions in 2030.