12 Feb (Hanji) – Donald Trump, the traditional automotive giant of the United States, recently stated in an interview that he will not allow imports of electric vehicles from China. He said “if a Chinese firm builds a plant in the United States and produces there it is acceptable,” yet maintained the old stance of “no imports.”
In his interview, Trump drew a clear distinction between importing Chinese‑made EVs into the United States and manufacturing them domestically. He noted that “if a company sets up a plant in a country like Japan and hires local workers, that does not raise an issue,” underscoring the difference between import and production. This was interpreted as meaning that it is the direct domestic production, not the act of shipping finished vehicles from China to the United States, that matters most.
Trump’s opposition to imports of Chinese EVs was justified on the grounds that “the U.S. market for electric vehicles may become saturated.” The United States currently imposes a tariff greater than 100 % on Chinese battery‑electric cars, and has taken regulatory actions against connected vehicle systems linked to countries such as China. This policy has significantly enlarged the sense of competition in the United States automobile industry.
Major U.S. manufacturers such as General Motors, Ford, Hyundai, Toyota and others have expressed concern that entry of Chinese electric vehicles into the U.S. market would impose a heavy burden on domestic firms. Accordingly, John Bower, head of the “Automotive Innovation Alliance,” sent an email to the legislature asking for a law that would prohibit the entry of connected cars from China permanently.
Trump has reportedly discussed with Chinese firms that he could allow them to produce domestically while protecting U.S. EV companies. However no concrete decision has yet been taken, and the Trump administration is in the process of deliberating its future policy direction.