Two Michigan members of the U.S. House of Representatives — Republican John Moolenaar and Democrat Debbie Dingell — are co-sponsoring legislation that would ban the sale in the United States of electric vehicles (EVs) designed and manufactured by firms controlled by China or other adversary nations.

The legislation is the Connected Vehicle Security Act of 2026 (CVSA), which is a companion to the bill introduced in the Senate by Senator Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio). The Senate version is co-sponsored by Senator Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.). Moolenaar is chairman of the House Select Committee on China, while Dingell is among the longest-serving House Democrats and a former General Motors executive. Moreno was a successful new-car dealership owner prior to his election to the Senate.

China is the main target of the legislation, which notes that “the People’s Republic of China has rapidly expanded its automotive manufacturing capacity and is increasingly targeting export markets. Despite having the largest market in the world, the People’s Republic of China exports nearly 8,000,000 vehicles annually, approximately twice the volume exported by any other country, demonstrating the scale at which vehicles and components controlled by a foreign adversary may enter global markets, including the United States.”

A flood of Chinese cars and trucks into the U.S. market would create huge problems for the highly unionized American auto industry that is headquartered in Detroit, Michigan. Chinese vehicles would be significantly underpriced compared to U.S. brands, thanks to the lower wages paid to workers in the Asian nation. It is thought that China also forces slave laborers to work in auto factories.

As an example, Chinese automaker BYD introduced its Seagull EV in the European market in 2024 with a price tag starting as low as $9,700, while offering a range of up to 252 miles. Assuming visible quality indicators equal to those on American, European, and Japanese offerings, the Seagull’s much lower price would be extremely attractive to U.S consumers who face spiraling prices for new vehicles. By comparison, the lowest available sticker price for the Chevrolet Bolt was just under $29,000.

There is little doubt that Americans would seriously consider Chinese vehicle offerings, at least in the initial stages. “In 2024, just 53 percent of surveyed [U.S.] consumers said they were familiar with Chinese cars, and only 41 percent said they would consider one. This year, 65 percent were familiar with Chinese brands, and 51 percent said they would consider one for their next vehicle,” Ars Technica reported in October 2025.

The Chinese auto industry already has a major presence in the U.S., thanks to domestic carmakers importing parts made in China. Mexico produces 41% of the $197 billion of auto parts bought by U.S. automakers, followed by Canada at 10% and China with 9%.

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP), which has exercised totalitarian control of the country since Mao Zedung overthrew the Nationalist Party government of Chiang Kai-shek in 1949, is interested in the U.S. auto industry as a new source of foreign income, but an even greater priority for the regime in Beijing is the potential military and commercial intelligence that could be gleaned in the U.S. by Chinese vehicles.

The CVSA recognizes this national security threat, saying “connected vehicles incorporate advanced information and communications technologies that collect, process, and transmit vast amounts of sensitive data, including geolocation, operational, and personal information, and are capable of being remotely accessed and controlled.”

China is not the only foreign adversary covered by the proposed legislation, as it also includes Russia, North Korea, and Iran. The CVSA also includes provisions that:

• Prohibit connected vehicle software and hardware linked to covered foreign adversaries, with software prohibitions effective January 1, 2027, and hardware prohibitions effective January 1, 2030
• Direct the Secretary of Commerce to establish a declaration of conformity process, authorization and waiver procedures, and a binding ruling and advisory opinion mechanism for industry compliance
• Establish civil penalties of at least $1.5 million for each violation of the law

“The American auto industry is vital for jobs, national security, and the future of America’s manufacturing base. China cheats in every industry, and in autos it is overproducing vehicles and components, and selling them for cheap in hopes they will put our companies out of business. In some cases, Chinese companies, including CATL and BYD, use slave labor to undercut the fair wages of hardworking Americans. These companies should not be allowed to do business in America, and their products shouldn’t be in our cars or threatening our infrastructure,” Moolenaar said in a statement announcing introduction of the House bill.

“This bipartisan legislation will ban Chinese vehicles from coming into our country and undercutting our workers through massive government subsidies, unfair trade practices, and slave labor. I am not interested in repeating the mistakes that hollowed out manufacturing communities across this country while politicians told workers globalization would somehow magically work itself out. America can compete with anyone in the world when there’s a level playing field because there is nobody better than the American worker. Auto workers are facing uncertainty, but I am certain about one thing: The future of the American auto industry must be built by American workers,” Dingell said in the same statement with Moolenaar.