Updated Sept. 18, 2026, 6:10 p.m. ET
WASHINGTON — The U.S. automotive industry’s top trade groups are urging President Donald Trump to “keep the door firmly shut” on Chinese automakers seeking to sell or build vehicles in the United States.
“Chinese automakers have zero market share in the U.S. Allowing them to open a domestic facility would provide a foothold in the U.S. market at the expense of manufacturers operating here. That would not create new American manufacturing jobs,” the groups wrote in a Sept. 17 letter to Trump and top members of his administration.
The letter continued: “Rather, it would shift jobs away from manufacturers that have made generational investments in the U.S. and toward companies owned and operated by the Chinese government. It would erode the value of 17,000 auto dealerships in our country that benefit consumers and communities nationwide.”
The plea comes amid mounting concerns from industry leaders and lawmakers of both political parties that Trump could take steps toward allowing Chinese automakers to do business stateside. The president has repeatedly expressed openness to companies from the rival nation building vehicles in the United States, and some worry that could be on the agenda when Chinese President Xi Jinping visits the White House on Sept. 24.
Leaders from Chinese electric vehicle juggernaut BYD Co. could be part of a business delegation that will accompany Xi on his trip, Bloomberg reported. Other automotive businesses, like battery giant CATL Co. Ltd. and Gotion, Inc., are also under consideration, according to Reuters.
The White House said in response it is working with American automakers to revive U.S. auto industry dominance “while safeguarding our national and economic security.”
U.S. Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Holly, responded on Twitter, saying the statement had “a lot of words, but somehow ‘I pledge to not allow Chinese car companies to set up shop in the United States’ — isn’t in there.”
On Sept. 9, Slotkin posted on social media that she was hearing “rumors” that Trump, a Republican, was planning to allow Chinese cars to be sold in the U.S. “as part of a larger deal he’s putting together.”
Fox News host Laura Ingraham asked the president about Slotkin’s tweet during an interview last week. Trump initially said the idea was a “phony rumor” and contended Slotkin was doing a “terrible job.”
“If China wanted to come in and open a plant to build their cars here, I’d be OK with it,” Trump added in the interview. “Japan does it. But they hire our people.”
Trump also said he doesn’t want to see China build plants in Mexico and ship the vehicles across the southern border into the United States.
Letters like the one sent on Sept. 17 have become common over the past year. The newest, which was signed by leaders of six top industry groups in Washington, mixed praise and caution for the second-term president.
“Under your leadership,” the letter said, “the administration has worked to prevent Chinese dominance in key industries, including semiconductors and critical minerals used in domestic automotive production; imposed 100 percent tariffs on Chinese vehicle imports; and championed a U.S. Department of Commerce national security rule prohibiting Chinese connected vehicles, hardware and software from entering the country.”
The letter did not mention that some of those efforts originated under the previous Biden administration, which was first to enact 100% tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles and created the Commerce Department rule.
“Those policies have worked and are the reason why the U.S. — unlike Europe, Australia, Southeast Asia, Mexico and South America — is not grappling with a massive surge in cut-rate Chinese vehicles that are not only capable of collecting and transmitting personal data back to the Chinese government but also weaken the market position of incumbent manufacturers,” the letter added.
It concludes: “Thank you for standing with automakers, dealers and suppliers and sending a clear message: The U.S. government won’t allow Chinese automakers to do here what they’ve gotten away with around the world.”
Chinese automakers accounted for about 25% of global vehicle market share in 2025, according to an August 2026 study from the Center for Automotive Research, just behind Japan’s 26%. China’s share was less than 15% in 2020.
China is especially dominant in the electric vehicle segment of the global auto market. The country manufactures about 75% of the world’s EVs, according to the International Energy Agency.
Signatories of the Sept. 17 letter to Trump included leaders of:
- the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, which represents all major U.S. automakers except for Tesla Inc.;
- the American Automotive Policy Council, which lobbies specifically on behalf of Michigan automakers Ford Motor Co., General Motors Co. and Stellantis NV;
- the Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association, the leading trade group for auto parts suppliers;
- Autos Drive America, which represents foreign automakers with U.S. operations;
- the National Automobile Dealers Association, which represents car and truck dealerships across the country;
- and the Zero Emission Transportation Association, a pro-EV lobbying group with prominent members like automaker Tesla, battery giant LG Corp. and utility operator Duke Energy.
A full copy of the letter is available below.
@GrantSchwab
Staff Writer Craig Mauger and David Shepardson of Reuters contributed.
