US Senator calls Chinese cars a “cancer”, seeks global support for total ban
Republican Senator Bernie Moreno announced on yesterday that he will introduce sweeping legislation this month designed to significantly toughen the existing U.S. government ban on Chinese automakers, effectively sealing the American market to any vehicles linked to China, including hardware, software, and partnerships, as reported by Reuters.
Speaking at an Automotive Forum event ahead of the New York International Auto Show, Senator Moreno stated that his proposed bill aims to ensure “there’s never a scenario where a Chinese automobile will enter our market.” The legislation intends to go beyond the Biden administration’s regulation introduced in January 2025, which currently prohibits the sale of Chinese passenger vehicles over national security concerns regarding data collection.
Moreno drew a sharp parallel between the automotive sector and telecommunications, explicitly referencing the U.S. ban on Huawei. “We don’t allow Huawei to come into our telecommunications infrastructure,” Moreno remarked. “We’re not going to allow Chinese automakers into this market. We’re going to prevent the cancer from coming into our market, and we’re going to need the other countries to do chemotherapy.“
The Senator’s aggressive stance mirrors his recent scrutiny of American companies. In February, Moreno criticized Waymo during a Senate hearing for its partnership with Geely, the Chinese parent company of Zeekr, accusing the Alphabet-owned firm of contradicting U.S. leadership goals by utilizing Chinese-made vehicles for its robotaxi program.
Beyond domestic measures, Moreno urged international allies to align with U.S. standards. “What I’m hoping is that Latin America, Mexico, Canada and Europe, adopt our same standards now,” he said.
The proposed legislation enjoys strong support from U.S. automakers and trade groups. Recently, major auto trade organizations urged the government to maintain strict barriers against Chinese carmakers, emphasizing the need to protect the domestic market.
However, the move has elicited a swift condemnation from the Chinese Embassy in Washington. In a statement, the Embassy accused the United States of engaging in “trade protectionism” and setting up “discriminatory subsidy policies,” arguing that the proposed bill violates principles of fair competition.
The legislative push comes at a delicate diplomatic moment, as President Donald Trump is expected to visit China in May. This presents a potential contrast in approaches, as Trump previously expressed openness to Chinese automakers building manufacturing plants in the U.S., provided they hire American workers.
