Major US automotive trade groups have urged President Donald Trump to keep Chinese carmakers out of the American market, warning that allowing them to sell, import or manufacture vehicles in the United States would threaten domestic jobs and national security.
The appeal came in a letter dated September 17, signed by six organisations representing manufacturers, suppliers, dealers and electric vehicle companies. The coalition includes the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, the American Automotive Policy Council, Autos Drive America, MEMA – The Vehicle Suppliers Association, the National Automobile Dealers Association and the Zero Emission Transportation Association. ([sg.finance.yahoo.com](https://sg.finance.yahoo.com/news/auto-industry-urges-trump-keep-164913146.html/?utm_source=openai))
“We urge your administration to maintain policies that keep the door firmly shut to Chinese automakers seeking to sell, import or manufacture vehicles inside the US,” the groups wrote.
The letter was sent shortly before Mr Trump is expected to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping in Washington. It follows comments by the president that he would accept Chinese companies building cars in the United States if they employed American workers.
“If China wanted to come in and open a plant to build their cars here, I’d be OK with it,” Mr Trump said in a September 11 interview on Fox News. He has also said he does not want Chinese manufacturers producing vehicles in Mexico and exporting them across the southern border.
The industry groups argue that a Chinese factory in the US would give state-backed manufacturers a foothold at the expense of companies already operating in the country. They said such investment would not create additional American manufacturing jobs but could instead shift employment away from established manufacturers and weaken the country’s network of about 17,000 franchised dealerships. ([arcamax.com](https://www.arcamax.com/homeandleisure/automotive/automotivenews/s-4301312?utm_source=openai))
There are currently no Chinese-branded vehicles sold in the United States. Restrictions introduced under the previous administration, including rules covering connected vehicle software and technology, have effectively blocked Chinese automakers from selling or producing passenger vehicles in the country, while steep tariffs remain in place on Chinese electric vehicles. ([axios.com](https://www.axios.com/2026/09/18/trump-china-vehicles-evs-cars?utm_source=openai))
The coalition said the automotive sector was central to America’s manufacturing and defence base, arguing that once domestic capacity was lost it could not quickly be rebuilt. The White House said the Trump administration was working with American carmakers to revive domestic production while protecting national and economic security. ([axios.com](https://www.axios.com/2026/09/18/trump-china-vehicles-evs-cars?utm_source=openai))
