Lawmakers who want Chinese connected vehicles shut out of the US market for good tried to force a Senate vote this week, aiming to land it while Xi Jinping was in Washington.
The Connected Vehicle Security Act of 2026, introduced in April by Michigan Democrat Elissa Slotkin and Ohio Republican Bernie Moreno, would bar the import, manufacture, sale and resale of connected vehicles, along with the software and hardware tied to them, when they come from China or other foreign adversaries, including through joint ventures.
It also hands the Commerce Department power to identify and block vehicle technologies, components and transactions judged a threat to national or economic security.
Restrictions would phase in, covering vehicles and software in 2027 and hardware from 2030. The measure would lock in a Biden-era rule that already curbs Chinese connected-vehicle technology, and would cut off future waivers of the kind granted to Chinese-owned Volvo.
Slotkin said the bill has 51 Senate supporters and won unanimous backing from a committee earlier this year, while the House companion has more than 100 cosponsors. She appeared at a Capitol Hill press conference on September 23 with Democratic leader Chuck Schumer, Elizabeth Warren and Andy Kim, and said she wants Trump to raise Chinese vehicles with Xi.
Moreno intended to seek unanimous consent, a fast route that any single senator can block. Aides said a few Republicans had raised concerns without saying whether they would formally object.
GM, Toyota, Volkswagen, Ford, Hyundai, Stellantis and Tesla urged Trump last week to hold existing restrictions in place. Slotkin framed the fight simply: “no one wants Chinese cars in America.”
