Dozens of House Republicans Weigh In on Auto Market Access for China

Ahead of President Trump’s Beijing trip, lawmakers warn a deal that lets Chinese automakers in risks “decimating U.S. manufacturing.”

Dozens of Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives are urging the Trump administration to safeguard the domestic auto industry from unfair Chinese competition. That’s the gist of a letter released Wednesday that was sent to the White House ahead of President Donald Trump’s visit to Beijing next week, where he will meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Despite assurances otherwise, there are persistent concerns that U.S. auto market access for Chinese manufacturers will be on the table when the leaders meet.

“The automotive industry is a foundational piece of the U.S. economy, contributing upwards of 5 percent of U.S. GDP and generating millions of manufacturing jobs across the country,” reads the letter. “The U.S. auto industry is reaching a critical inflection point, as global dynamics and shifts in policy create opportunities for heavily subsidized Chinese automakers to gain momentum using non-market tactics. If Chinese automotive companies were granted access to manufacture and sell vehicles and batteries in the U.S., we risk decimating U.S. manufacturing, eroding global market share for U.S. auto companies, and leaving consumers and businesses exposed to serious cybersecurity and surveillance threats. This is not a winning strategy.”

The House Republicans aren’t wrong; we made those arguments in a video explainer earlier this week. But it’s not just us saying it. Concerns about this threat to the auto industry are stacking up among elected officials in Washington. House Democrats, for instance, sent a nearly identical letter last week, in which they warned “we must not cede the American auto industry to a strategic competitor intent on global dominance. The consequences for American workers, our supply chains, our national security, and our communities would be profound and irreversible.”

A trio of Senate Democrats sent a similar letter to the administration last month. “We urge you to stay the course and make it clear that Chinese auto manufacturers and their products present unprecedented dangers to our economic and national security, and their manufacture, sale, or operation on U.S. soil is non-negotiable,” wrote Sens. Chuck Schumer (N.Y.), Elissa Slotkin (Mich.) and Tammy Baldwin (Wisc.).

And one of those Democrats – Slotkin – joined with Republican Sen. Bernie Moreno of Ohio in cosponsoring the Connected Vehicle Security Act, which would make permanent a U.S. Commerce Department rule that bans the import of Chinese connected vehicle hardware and software.

It has our endorsement and it should have yours, too. Click here to email your legislator with this important message: Keep Chinese autos out of America by supporting the Connected Vehicle Security Act. The auto industry is a pillar of American manufacturing might. Don’t trade it away!