KATHMANDU: US Senator Elissa Slotkin has claimed that President Donald Trump could allow Chinese-made vehicles to enter the US market as part of a broader trade deal with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Slotkin raised the claim ahead of a possible meeting between Trump and Xi, saying she had heard rumors that Trump was considering allowing Chinese cars to be sold in the US as part of a larger agreement with China.
However, she did not provide a source for the claim, and the White House has not announced any plan to remove or reduce existing trade barriers on Chinese vehicles.
Slotkin described the reported possibility as a strategic mistake, warning that it could affect the US automotive industry and manufacturing jobs, particularly in Michigan.
The senator is also backing legislation that would restrict Chinese vehicles, software and hardware from the US market. Slotkin and Republican Senator Bernie Moreno are sponsoring the Connected Vehicle Security Act, which passed the Senate Commerce Committee unanimously in July.
The proposed legislation would also target Chinese-brand vehicles assembled in countries such as Canada and Mexico before being imported into the US.
Chinese electric vehicles currently face significant barriers to entering the US market. In 2024, the Biden administration increased the tariff on Chinese EVs from 25% to 100%. The Trump administration has maintained the 100% tariff and has not indicated plans to remove it.
There is currently no official confirmation that Trump plans to open the US market to Chinese EVs. Any such move would represent a major change in US automotive trade policy towards China.
