American Warns Canada That Allowing Chinese Electric Vehicles Will Bring Risks

On Friday, January 16, officials from the Trump administration in the United States stated that Canada's decision to allow up to 49,000 Chinese electric vehicles to enter its market would "regret later," and emphasized that these Chinese electric vehicles would be banned from entering the U.S. market.

According to Reuters, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said at an event at a Ford Motor Company factory in Ohio on Friday that allowing the import of Chinese electric vehicles was worrying for Canada. He said, "I think when they re-evaluate this decision in the future, they will certainly regret bringing Chinese cars into their market."

Canada had previously imposed a 100% tariff on Chinese electric vehicles, a move similar to that of the United States. However, Canada recently decided to allow a certain number of Chinese electric vehicles into the market, which has raised concerns in the United States. The U.S. fears that this move may help China further expand its foothold in the North American market against the backdrop of increasingly strict policies on complete vehicles and parts in Washington.

U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Clancy also stated that the number of vehicles allowed into Canada is limited and will not affect U.S. automakers' exports to Canada. She said, "I don't think this will disrupt the U.S. auto supply to Canada, these vehicles are going to Canada, not the U.S."

Clancy told CNBC, an American financial channel, that Canada's decision "has problems." She pointed out, "There is a reason why few Chinese cars are sold in the U.S. market, it's because we use tariffs to protect American auto workers and consumers from these vehicles entering."

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who is currently visiting China, said that China will reduce the tariff on Canadian canola to about 15% by March 1. In response, U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Clancy expressed doubt about this decision, believing it is unsustainable, and said, "In the long run, Canada will eventually regret this agreement."

Clancy also pointed out that the regulations on connected cars and navigation systems introduced by the U.S. in January 2025 have created significant obstacles for Chinese vehicles entering the U.S. market. She said, "I think they (Chinese cars) will find it difficult to operate here, as the U.S. has clear regulations on the cybersecurity of cars and their systems, and Chinese companies will find it hard to meet these requirements."

In contrast to the strong statements by government officials, former U.S. President Trump had previously expressed hope that Chinese car manufacturers would establish factories in the U.S. to produce cars.

However, members of both major U.S. political parties generally hold strong opposition to Chinese cars, and several U.S. automakers have warned that Chinese car companies pose a threat to the U.S. automotive industry.

At the same event, Republican Senator Bernie Moreno from Ohio clearly expressed his opposition to Chinese cars entering the U.S. market and received applause from government officials present. He said, "As long as I have breath in my body, I will never let Chinese cars be sold in the U.S. – it's impossible."

Source: rfi

Original: toutiao.com/article/1854574494919179/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author alone.