Republicans push for global "cordon sanitaire" against oriental automakers and attack use of Chinese technology by companies like Waymo
Republican Senator Bernie Moreno (Ohio, USA) called the Chinese auto industry a “cancer” that must be extirpated from the U.S. market to avoid the collapse of local production. Moreno announced the presentation, later this month, of the “American Auto Independence Act”, which proposes a total ban on vehicles with any technological or productive link with China.
The radical proposal aims to block not only the import of automobiles, but to ban the use of hardware, software and any industrial agreements that involve Chinese capital or engineering. The measure tightens the restrictions imposed by Joe Biden’s administration in 2025, which already limited marketing under the argument of national security and data protection.
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During a forum ahead of the New York International Auto Show, Moreno compared the auto threat to the telecommunications sector, citing the blockade of Huawei as a precedent to justify the exclusion. One of the central targets of his criticism was Waymo, a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc., for the use of vehicles produced by the Geely group — Zeehr’s parent company — in its robotaxis operations.
The senator advocated that strategic allies, including Mexico, Canada and European countries, adopt identical sanctions to prevent China from using neighboring markets as a platform for entry to the US. According to the congressman, the independence of the sector is vital for the survival of Detroit’s “Big Three”.
While American industrial entities show support for the shielding of the market, the Chinese Embassy in Washington accused the congressman of promoting protectionism that violates the rules of free trade. The move comes amid preparations for President Donald Trump’s visit to China, scheduled for May, which could strain bilateral negotiations on subsidies and investments in the sector.
