Senator Sherrod Brown, who chairs the Senate Banking Committee, has asked President Joe Biden to take strong action against Chinese-made vehicles entering the American market.
In a letter, Brown urged Biden to enforce a permanent ban on electric vehicles (EVs) made by Chinese companies, highlighting the threat they pose to the U.S. auto industry. This is the most forceful position a U.S. lawmaker has taken on so far.
While Biden has acknowledged before that China’s auto policies are risky, the White House hasn’t responded yet to Brown’s request.
Concerns about Chinese EVs flooding the U.S. market have led to calls for action. Brown argues for a permanent ban rather than just imposing tariffs.
In February, people in the auto industry said Biden’s team was thinking about raising tariffs on Chinese EVs. Brown’s letter adds to the pressure on the White House to take real steps against the influx of Chinese cars.
The Commerce Department is investigating the national security risks from Chinese vehicle imports, especially “connected” car technology that could put Americans’ data at risk.
Joe Biden (Via Priyanka Moody/Getty Images)
Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said finding and fixing these risks fast is important to protect U.S. workers.
Even though not many Chinese cars are imported to the U.S., people still worry about possible subsidies and unfair advantages Chinese carmakers might have.
A group of lawmakers from different parties has already asked U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai to raise tariffs on Chinese cars.
The Chinese embassy in Washington said no to raising tariffs, saying China’s car exports show how good its factories are.
But Brown’s call for a ban shows how both Republicans and Democrats are worried about China’s impact on the U.S. car industry and national security.
