'Permanent Ban' On Chinese EVs Recommended By Ohio Senator

An Ohio Senator has called for the most extreme protectionism against Chinese electric vehicles yet: A total ban. Regardless of whether the White House listens, the request marks a significant escalation against the Chinese car industry as Washington struggles to stave off the looming prospect of cheap, foreign-built cars.

"I implore you to take bold, aggressive action and to permanently ban EVs produced by Chinese companies or whatever subsidiaries they establish to conceal their origins," said Senator Sherrod Brown, an Ohio Democrat, in a statement to President Biden quoted by Reuters. Brown called for "expeditious" action, echoing the sentiment of Tesla CEO Elon Musk by calling Chinese EVs "an existential threat to the American auto industry."

The threat of the Chinese auto industry and its cheap EVs seemed distant until recently, when Chinese automakers began expanding their manufacturing bases in Mexico. This would currently allow Chinese makes to sidestep regulatory barriers, and access the U.S. market via the same loopholes that our domestic industry uses. (They're how the Mexican-made Ford Maverick can be sold so cheaply.) While the U.S. fortified domestic automakers' positions with its reworked EV subsidy, it's now only the foundation for further protectionist measures.