Michigan Republican Lawmaker Urges Scott Bessent To Probe Chinese Expansion In US Auto Market

A GOP lawmaker from Michigan has urged Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to scrutinize Chinese companies gaining entree to the U.S. car market.

In a missive to Bessent connected Thursday, Rep. John Moolenar (R-MI) urged the Treasury Secretary to workout "heightened scrutiny" of "inbound concern propulsion from China" and Chinese businesses wanting to grow marketplace entree successful captious manufacturing sectors successful the U.S.

He besides said that if it were near unchecked, the medication risks undermining its ain efforts to "safeguard nationalist security, forestall overseas adversary power implicit captious infrastructure, and rebuild American concern strength."

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"Beijing seeks to subsidize its breached economical exemplary connected the backmost of the American taxpayer," Moolenar said successful the letter. He past outlined however Chinese companies were "sustained by authorities support," allowing them to run astatine a nonaccomplishment for extended periods.

"In lithium-ion batteries, a foundational technology, China has leveraged sustained authorities enactment and home procurement policies to execute dominance," Moolenar said, adding that successful the automotive sector, Chinese automakers person "benefited from protected home markets and state-backed capital."

He past raised an alarm astir allowing Chinese automakers into the U.S. market, which would enactment American automakers successful "direct contention with firms that person nary request to vie connected genuine marketplace disciplines."

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The quality comes arsenic Geely Automobile Holdings Ltd. was mulling an introduction into the U.S. marketplace via its Zeekr brand successful the adjacent 2-3 years, arsenic shared by Ash Sutcliffe, who is Geely’s Head of Global Communications during January's Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2026.

Zeekr already has a concern successful spot with Alphabet Inc.'s Robotaxi work Waymo, arsenic it provides the Robotaxi relation with the "Ojai" robotaxi, fitted with Waymo's Sixth-generation autonomous driving suite.

Meanwhile, Ford Motor Co. CEO Jim Farley floated the thought of forming associated ventures with Chinese automakers to manufacture vehicles successful the U.S. with American companies maintaining a controlling involvement successful the venture. Ford besides precocious held talks with BYD Co. Ltd. to grow battery-supply partnerships.