Senators introduce bipartisan bill to ban Chinese vehicles and auto parts

A bipartisan Senate duo introduced a bill to ban importing Chinese-made vehicles and auto parts, weeks ahead of U.S.

A bipartisan Senate duo introduced a bill on Wednesday to ban the importation of Chinese-made vehicles and auto parts, weeks ahead of U.S. President Donald Trump’s planned sit-down with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

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Sens. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, and Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., introduced the Connected Vehicle Security Act, which would ban automobiles, parts and vehicle software made in China or in partnership with China, as well as other adversarial nations, from the U.S. market.

The Commerce Department last year issued a rule that restricted such vehicles and parts from the U.S. market, but both Moreno and Slotkin spoke of the importance of codifying the effort into law. On Tuesday, more than 70 House Democrats signed a letter urging Trump to block Chinese automakers from the U.S. market ahead of his meeting with the Chinese leader next month. In January, Trump suggested an openness to allowing Chinese automakers into the U.S. market during a speech before the Detroit Economic Club.