Key Facts

• Michigan Senator Elissa Slotkin and Representative Haley Stevens introduced the Protecting America from Chinese Cars Act.
• The bill would ban connected cars built or designed in China or by companies with more than 15% Chinese ownership from entering the US.
• Current rules already impose tariffs and import restrictions on Chinese-made cars and connected vehicles linked to the Chinese government.
• The bill includes a process for car makers to request permission to import specific vehicles under strict conditions and congressional oversight.
• Customs and Border Protection would have 90 days to create a list of banned vehicles if the bill passes.
• Lawmakers argue the ban protects American auto jobs and prevents potential surveillance through data collected by connected cars.
• Previous related legislation, the Connected Vehicle Security Act of 2026, aimed to keep Chinese cars out of the US for similar security reasons.
• The lawmakers consider these vehicles a threat because they can collect location data, video, and map sensitive sites, sending that information back to China.