US Auto Groups Urge Trump to Keep 17,000 Dealers’ Market Shut to Chinese Carmakers
Updated
Updated · CNBC · Sep 18
US Auto Groups Urge Trump to Keep 17,000 Dealers’ Market Shut to Chinese Carmakers
3 articles · Updated · CNBC · Sep 18
Summary
Six U.S. auto trade groups told President Donald Trump to keep policies that block Chinese automakers from selling, importing or building vehicles in the United States, according to a Thursday letter viewed by CNBC.
The appeal came after Trump said on Sept. 11 he would be open to Chinese carmakers opening U.S. plants and just before his expected Washington meeting next week with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The coalition argued Chinese state subsidies would let those companies undermine fair competition and erode a manufacturing base it called critical to both advanced industry and national defense.
About 17,000 franchised dealers and every major automaker operating in the U.S. were represented in the letter, making it a broader, more unified industry push than earlier messages to the administration.
If foreign factories historically revitalized American manufacturing, why is the auto industry so terrified of Chinese companies bringing jobs to U.S. soil?
With American brands already relying on Chinese battery tech, could a total ban actually paralyze the U.S. auto industry from the inside?
Are national security fears about connected cars a genuine threat, or just a clever shield to protect legacy automakers from cheaper competition?