Joe Biden Pressed to Ban China-made EVs From Entering the US Car Sector

By Trisha Andrada

Apr 12, 2024 11:50 AM EDT

The chair of the Senate Banking Committee urged President Joe Biden on Thursday, Apr. 11, to ban Chinese-made electric vehicles (EVs) from the United States market.

CHINA — In this photo taken on September 11, 2023, BYD electric cars waiting to be loaded on a ship are stacked at the international container terminal of Taicang Port at Suzhou Port, in China's eastern Jiangsu Province.
(Photo : AFP via Getty Images)

Senator Brown Calls for Complete Ban on Chinese EVs in America

Senator Sherrod Brown Chinese EVs pose an "existential threat to the American auto industry, BBC reported. This call follows a White House study into the potential national security threat raised by Chinese automobiles released in February.

While other US lawmakers have advocated for high tariffs to stop Chinese EVs from entering the country, Brown's remarks are the most aggressive so far.

"We cannot allow China to bring its government-backed cheating to the American auto industry," Brown wrote on X, along with a video.

I’m calling for a complete ban on Chinese electric vehicles in America.

We cannot allow China to bring its government-backed cheating to the American auto industry. pic.twitter.com/cekCo5Rt1K
— Sherrod Brown (@SenSherrodBrown) April 11, 2024

Biden Warns That China's Policies Might Flood the US Market With Its Cars

Biden warned in February that China's plans could flood the market with its vehicles, posing risks to national security, adding that he would "not going to let that happen on my watch."

The White House has said that limits may be imposed because of fears that Chinese-made cars might gather sensitive data on their drivers and passengers via their technology.

It emphasized that internet-connected vehicles routinely capture extensive data about US infrastructure using their cameras and sensors, communicate directly with vital infrastructure, and may be remotely controlled or deactivated.

China is the world's leading automaker and one of the top exporters of vehicles. However, the US levies a 27.5% tax on cars imported from China, so very few of these vehicles are on American roads.