Updated Jan. 28, 2026, 2:21 p.m. ET
- Chinese electric carmaker BYD plans to sell over a million plug-in models outside of China in 2026.
- A recent trade deal will allow up to 49,000 Chinese-made EVs, including BYD models, into Canada.
- BYD does not currently plan to sell its electric cars in the United States due to high tariffs and restrictive regulations.
Chinese electric carmaker BYD is aiming to sell over a million plug-in models outside of its home country in 2026 as it eyes a coming expansion into Canada.
The world’s now-number-one electric vehicle maker wants to sell 1.3 million EVs outside of China, Li Yunfei, general manager of BYD’s brand and public relations division, said in a recent press briefing in Shanghai, according to multiple media reports.
The news comes after China and Canada announced a recent deal to allow thousands of the Chinese-made EVs into the North American country. Under the agreement, Canada will allow up to 49,000 Chinese electric vehicles into its market, with the so-called “most-favored-nation” tariff rate of 6.1%. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney‘s office said the amount of Chinese EVs it plans to allow to be sold in Canada “corresponds to volumes in the year prior to recent trade frictions on these imports (2023-2024), representing less than 3% of the Canadian market for new vehicles sold in Canada.”
What does it mean for US EV buyers?
BYD’s electric cars are not sold in the United States because of factors such as high tariffs that are currently in place, and federal rules regarding connected car technology and vehicle safety standards that the company sees as restrictive.
BYD currently sells commercial vehicles in the United States, but the company’s U.S.-branch CEO has said in interviews that she thinks the American market is “too restrictive.”
In a May 2024 interview with Yahoo Finance, BYD America CEO Stella Li said the American EV market is, “an interesting market but it’s very complicated.” As consumer interest has appeared to wane, other factors have further complicated the landscape, Li said.
“So we’re saying, ‘No… we don’t have plans to come to the U.S.”
The Trump administration has imposed a 100% tariff on all Chinese imports, including cars, making it fiscally prohibitive for BYD to sell cars in America.
Can US drivers buy BYD EVs in Canada?
It would also be difficult for U.S. drivers to buy BYD electric cars in Canada or Mexico and drive them into the country because of federal laws regarding imported vehicles that require them to go through a lengthy customs process to prove they comply with existing federal motor vehicle safety laws.
Under the law, known as the Imported Vehicle Safety Compliance Act of 1988, U.S. citizens can import “non-conforming foreign motor vehicles” for personal use, as long as they can prove the car is not intended for resale at the time of importation.
People who import non-conforming foreign cars also must post bond and comply with other terms and conditions determined by the U.S. Secretary of Transportation, according to the law.
How many cars did BYD sell in 2025?
BYD sold 4,602,436 passenger and commercial vehicles in 2025, according to the company’s December 2025 sales report.
The sales figure included 2,256,714 battery electric cars, 2,288,709 plug-in hybrids and 57,013 commercial vehicles.
What does the Trump administration have to say about it?
The Trump administration has criticized Canadian officials for striking a trade deal with China.
In a Jan. 24 post on Truth Social, Trump said “if Governor Carney thinks he is going to make Canada a ‘Drop Off Port’ for China to send goods and products into the United States, he is sorely mistaken.
“China will eat Canada alive, completely devour it, including the destruction of their businesses, social fabric, and general way of life,” Trump wrote. “If Canada makes a deal with China, it will immediately be hit with a 100% Tariff against all Canadian goods and products coming into the U.S.A. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DJT.”
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said also said in a Jan. 22 appearance at the Washington, DC Auto Show that he thinks Canadian officials will regret the deal to allow Chinese EVs into its market.
“I think you’ll see the world be gouged by China and they’ll control all the manufacturing, and we can’t let that happen,” Duffy said. “I want to keep the development and the manufacturing and the American spirit of these vehicles in our country.”
