Michigan political leaders want to ban Chinese cars from even visiting the US

Like the existing Commerce Act, the bill would create a mechanism for OEMs to apply for a license to “allow banned vehicles into the US.”

“Specific authorizations may be issued only under strict, transparent conditions and under the supervision of Congress,” the bill said. Customs and Border Protection will have 90 days to implement the rules, “including (creating) a list of prohibited vehicles.”

“We will be aggressive here because Michigan jobs are on the line, as well as national security. So near our border are Chinese cars and Chinese technology in cars, even daily trips. That’s how aggressive we believe we should be right now,” Stevens said during a policy meeting.

His partner in law went much further. “They can come across the border, drive to Selfridge Air Force base, take a video with a car. The car is a package for monitoring travelers. And all this data that the car is collecting is sent to Beijing,” said Slotkin.

Sen. Slotkin had previously agreed with Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio), a former auto dealer, on the Connected Vehicle Security Act of 2026, which appears to have similar goals—keeping Chinese-made or Chinese-badged cars out of the US.

“This is a matter of economic security and a matter of national security, and we must prevent these vehicles from traveling across our borders and into our communities,” said Senator Slotkin. “It’s a monitor behind the wheel that can control autonomous drivers, collect high-speed video, and capture sensitive areas, including for our military. This bill is based on my Bipartisan Connected Vehicle Security Act of 2026 and prohibits manufactured Chinese vehicles from driving at all, even during the day.”

In 2021, China banned Teslas from its military and other sensitive areas but lifted the ban soon after Tesla began complying with Chinese security laws that, among other things, require automakers to hand over user information to the Chinese government. Recently, both UK and Poland they have banned Chinese-linked vehicles from being parked near military bases.