Senators highlight 'nonnegotiable' threat in letter to Trump

A trio of Democratic U.S. senators on Monday sent a letter to President Donald Trump, asking him to take steps to protect the U.S. auto industry blocking the sale and operation of vehicles manufactured by state-backed Chinese automakers.

In their letter, Sens. Elissa Slotkin (D-Michigan), Chuck Schumer (D-New York) and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisconsin) referenced Trump’s comments to the Detroit Economic Club in January, where he invited Chinese automakers to set up shop in the states, saying “Let them come in.”

“Allowing automakers headquartered in China, which operate with backing from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), to build and sell vehicles in the United States would have far-reaching consequences for our economic and national security,” the Senators wrote in their letter. “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 nonnegotiable.”

While U.S. manufacturers can compete with their peer companies, the senators argued that they cannot compete with companies backed by the Chinese government, as the nation aims to achieve global market dominance. They stressed that this strategy is driven by the repression of independent labor unions, low wages and nightmarish working conditions.

Allowing these companies to operate in the U.S. would lead to job losses in auto manufacturing, parts supplying and production, the senators warned. Further involving Chinese companies in the supply chains of the U.S. and its allies would create chokepoints that could cripple the domestic industry, they said.

The senators also cited concerns that the technology within these vehicles could connect to outside devices, and could be used to gather sensitive information when driven near military sites, power plants and government buildings.

“China’s automakers and suppliers participate in the People’s Liberation Army’s military-civil fusion strategy, meaning their commercial activities and research support and subsidize the activities of the Chinese military,” they wrote. “China emphasizes the development of dual-use technology and integrates civil and military supply chains, to a degree where they are inseparable. The proceeds from each Chinese auto sale will go toward sustaining an industrial base and R&D system that the People’s Liberation Army could employ in a future conflict with the United States.”

In 2025, the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security issued a final rule restricting the import and sale of certain vehicles and related hardware/software linked to China beginning in Model Year 2027. The three Democrats urged the president to maintain the restrictions, and encouraged him to expand those restrictions to commercial vehicles.

“The United States must reaffirm our clear position – that Chinese vehicles of all types and automakers are not welcome to operate here in any capacity. In addition to banning Chinese connected vehicles, we must work with our allies to counter the global threat posed by Chinese vehicles,” they wrote, adding that the nation “must spur a new generation of automotive innovation” to ensure that the U.S. auto industry remains the best in the world.

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