Lawmakers to seek Senate approval of permanent US ban on Chinese cars
XLY•Bipartisan lawmakers plan to seek Senate approval Thursday of a bill making the US ban on Chinese vehicles permanent. The measure has 51 Senate supporters, and a House version has more than 100 co-sponsors.
1. Senate fast-track effort
Democratic Senator Elissa Slotkin and Republican Senator Bernie Moreno plan to seek unanimous consent for the bill. Slotkin said her understanding was that 99 senators supported moving ahead and one Republican opposed it; a single opponent could block approval.
2. Ban provisions
The bill would make the ban law and prevent the White House from issuing waivers to Chinese manufacturers to sell vehicles in the United States. A regulation imposed in early 2025 effectively barred Chinese automakers from selling or building passenger vehicles in the country, citing concerns that they could send sensitive driver data to China. The United States also maintains tariffs of more than 100% on Chinese electric vehicles.
3. Ownership and automakers
Senator Ted Cruz said the bill would bar vehicle sales by companies more than 15% owned by Chinese entities, a provision that could affect Mercedes-Benz because Chinese investors hold nearly 20%. Moreno said Mercedes-Benz would have until 2030 to comply and could still receive waivers if needed; Slotkin said discussions about how the company could comply were ongoing.
