U.S. Auto Industry and Lawmakers Push Back on Opening Market to Chinese Automakers

Ahead of bilateral meetings between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, American automotive trade groups and lawmakers are urging the administration to maintain strict barriers against Chinese automakers entering the domestic market, according to reporting by CNBC Business (https://www.cnbc.com/2026/09/23/trump-xi-chinese-automakers-us-access.html). The pushback follows remarks from Trump earlier this month suggesting he might permit Chinese vehicle manufacturers to operate in the United States if they build vehicles domestically.

The proposal prompted a rare unified response from a consortium representing U.S. automakers, franchised dealerships, and parts suppliers, which urged Trump to reconsider. More than two dozen Democratic lawmakers also submitted a letter requesting that existing restrictions remain in place. Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) stated Wednesday that preserving domestic manufacturing resilience requires keeping subsidized foreign competitors out of the country.

The summit on Thursday and Friday is expected to bring together major corporate figures from both countries. Chinese delegates reportedly could include BYD founder Wang Chuanfu and CATL founder Robin Zeng. U.S. executives expected to attend Trump's state dinner for Xi include Tesla CEO Elon Musk and General Motors CEO Mary Barra. Ford Motor declined to confirm whether CEO Jim Farley would attend following Department of Transportation scrutiny over its technology licensing deal with CATL, while Stellantis confirmed CEO Antonio Filosa is out of the country and will not attend.

Industry analysts point to intense domestic competition in China as the primary driver behind the aggressive global export push by Chinese brands like BYD and Geely. Michael Dunne, a former GM executive and China automotive expert, noted that Chinese carmakers are engaged in heavy price wars domestically, making access to the lucrative U.S. market a major objective.

Data from market research firm GlobalData shows global market share for Chinese brands grew nearly 70% from 2020 to 2025. In Europe, market share for Chinese automakers rose from near zero in 2020 to 12% in August, according to Germany-based Dataforce. Christian Meunier, chairman of the Americas for Nissan Motor, noted in an interview with CNBC that competing with heavily subsidized Chinese manufacturers presents severe challenges abroad, warning that Western automakers must prepare for eventual attempts to enter the U.S. market.