Democratic senators Tammy Baldwin, Elissa Slotkin and Chuck Schumer have urged US president Donald Trump to bar Chinese carmakers from building cars in the US and to stop Chinese cars assembled in Mexico or Canada from entering the country, after Trump said in January that he’s open to Chinese carmakers building US factories, Reuters reports. “We must be clear-eyed that inviting China’s automakers to set up shop in the United States would confer an insurmountable economic advantage impossible for American automakers to overcome, and it would trigger a national security crisis that could never be reversed. “While a new plant opened by a Chinese automaker in the United States may create some assembly and temporary construction jobs, that small number of jobs will not make up for the lasting job loss,” the lawmakers reportedly wrote in a letter to Trump. Additionally, they noted that in February, BYD was among a group of companies briefly added to a list of Chinese firms allegedly aiding Beijing’s military. “The administration should move without hesitation to designate BYD and other Chinese automakers as military-connected entities,” they wrote. “While the administration is always working to secure more investment into America’s industrial resurgence, any notion that we would ever compromise our national security to do so is baseless and false,” the White House said when asked for comment. “If they (Chinese carmakers) want to come in and build a plant and hire you and hire your friends and your neighbours, that’s great, I love that,” Trump said at the Detroit Economic Club in January. Although Chinese cars already face tariffs of around 100% in the US, recent surveys indicate that consumer interest in Chinese vehicles are rising, Reuters reports. In January 2025, the Biden administration imposed sweeping regulations that effectively ban Chinese passenger vehicles in the country, citing national security concerns. The ban is backed strongly by US carmakers and other auto groups – last month, auto trade groups representing nearly all major car companies urged the government to keep Chinese carmakers out of the country ahead of Trump’s planned summit with Chinese president Xi Jinping in May. The news agency also reports that earlier this month, Republican senator Bernie Moreno of Ohio said he will propose legislation to seal off the US so “there’s never a scenario where a Chinese automobile will enter our market, that’s hardware, that’s software, that’s partnerships.” Compare prices between different insurer providers to save the most on your car insurance renewal compared to other competing services. Many payment method supported and you can pay with instalment using Atome, Grab PayLater or Shopee SPayLater. Use the promo code 'PAULTAN' when you checkout for 10% discount!