Trump: I'm Good With Chinese Carmakers Building in US

President Trump says he's fine with Chinese carmakers building vehicles in the United States, as long as they do it on American soil and hire American workers. In a Fox News interview, Trump said, "If China wanted to come in and open a plant to build their cars here, I'd be OK with [that]," comparing it to Japanese automakers that employ US workers, per Reuters. But he drew a line at Chinese companies producing cars in Mexico and shipping them north, saying he doesn't want that arrangement.

His comments land amid sharp resistance in Washington and Detroit. US automakers and a major industry group are pressing Congress to lock in a permanent ban on Chinese vehicles, citing concerns over subsidized cars packed with connected tech. A Biden-era rule currently blocks Chinese automakers from selling or building passenger vehicles in the US, backed by tariffs of more than 100% on Chinese EVs.

House legislation introduced earlier this year would also ban the manufacturing, import, and sale of connected vehicles and accompanying software tied to a foreign adversary, per the Hill. Trump, meanwhile, dismissed Democratic Sen. Elissa Slotkin's warning that he plans to open the door to Chinese cars as a "total phony rumor," insisting to Fox that he has kept Chinese vehicles out of the American market.