President Joe Biden has faced calls to prohibit the importation of Chinese-manufactured electric vehicles into the United States. Senator Sherrod Brown, the chair of the Senate Banking Committee, emphasized that these vehicles pose a significant threat to the American auto industry. He stressed the importance of preventing China from leveraging government support to undermine U.S. competitiveness. In February, the White House initiated an investigation into whether Chinese-made cars present a national security risk.

The concern extends beyond economic competition; there are worries that Chinese-made cars could gather extensive sensitive data on users, potentially compromising national security. The White House highlighted the risks associated with internet-connected vehicles, including their ability to record detailed information on U.S. infrastructure and their susceptibility to remote piloting or disabling.

During her recent visit to China, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen cautioned Beijing against triggering a situation akin to the “China shock” witnessed in the early 2000s, when a surge in Chinese imports disrupted the American economy.