A newly introduced bipartisan bill from U.S. Rep. John Moolenaar (R-MI) would ban the import, manufacture, sale, or distribution in the United States of connected vehicle technology tied to foreign adversaries, including related software and hardware.
The congressman on May 11 sponsored the Connected Vehicle Security Act, H.R. 8730, alongside lead original cosponsor U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-MI) as the companion bill to the same-named S. 4429 introduced on April 29 in the U.S. Senate.
“The American auto industry is vital for jobs, national security, and the future of America’s manufacturing base. China cheats in every industry, and in autos it is overproducing vehicles and components, and selling them for cheap in hopes they will put our companies out of business,” Rep. Moolenaar said. “In some cases, Chinese companies, including CATL and BYD, use slave labor to undercut the fair wages of hardworking Americans.
“These companies should not be allowed to do business in America, and their products shouldn’t be in our cars or threatening our infrastructure,” added Rep. Moolenaar, chairman of the House Select Committee on China.
The bill would prohibit the importation, manufacture, sale, or introduction into U.S. commerce of connected vehicles originating from or controlled by a covered foreign adversary country, effective Jan. 1, 2027.
Additionally, the measure would prohibit connected vehicle software and hardware linked to covered foreign adversaries, with software prohibitions effective Jan. 1, 2027 and hardware prohibitions effective Jan. 1, 2030.
The bill, which would cover these items from China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran, would direct the U.S. Secretary of Commerce to establish a declaration of conformity process, authorization and waiver procedures, and a binding ruling and advisory opinion mechanism for industry compliance.
The proposal also would establish civil penalties of at least $1.5 million for each violation of the law, according to a bill summary provided by Rep. Moolenaar’s staff.
“This bipartisan legislation will ban Chinese vehicles from coming into our country and undercutting our workers through massive government subsidies, unfair trade practices, and slave labor,” said Rep. Dingell. “I am not interested in repeating the mistakes that hollowed out manufacturing communities across this country while politicians told workers globalization would somehow magically work itself out.”