General Motors Co. in Detroit, Ford Motor Co. in Dearborn, and Stellantis in Auburn Hills have joined four other automakers and other industry organizations in a letter asking President Donald Trump to keep Chinese vehicle manufacturers out of the United States.
The letter — also signed by Toyota, Volkswagen, Hyundai, and Tesla — was delivered before Trump meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Washington, D.C. this week. Copies reportedly were sent to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.
“In advance of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Washington, 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 U.S.,” the letter reads.
The letter is the industry’s response to a comment Trump made to Fox News last week that he would be “comfortable” with Chinese car companies building vehicles in the United States.
Also signed by representatives of the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, the American Automotive Policy Council, Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association, Autos Drive America, National Automobile Dealers Association, and the Zero Emission Transportation Association, the letter says:
“Even if built in the U.S., these factories would still rely on Chinese suppliers, Chinese components, and would be overseen by individuals with direct ties to the Chinese government. Chinese production in the U.S. would bring fewer jobs and remain reliant on foreign supply chains. Localized Chinese production will not advance the administration’s manufacturing jobs and national security agendas.
“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.
“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.”
In addition, the letter draws a line between potential Chinese entrants and the foreign automakers already established in America, saying Chinese companies “would fundamentally differ from companies headquartered in Europe, Japan, and South Korea, which operate on market principles and have invested substantially in the American economy and American workers.”
The letter also notes that the influx of Chinese automakers could hamper the industry’s ability to again become the Arsenal of Democracy.
“The automotive sector is foundational to our advanced manufacturing and defense base, with the capacity and workforce to respond during a national emergency,” the letter says. “Once that base is hollowed out, it can’t be rebuilt overnight.”
