As someone who's worked in the auto industry for over 20 years (on the marketing side) with a few of the largest OEMs on the planet, and currently do, everyone needs to understand that these bills, driven by Sen. Moreno (who was a very successful car dealer principal), is really meant to block only the truly Chinese auto companies, like BYD and NIO, et al, that are HEAVILY subsidized by the Chinese government. Because of this subsidization, no auto manufacturer can compete against the Chinese government. Auto companies can compete against each other on a level playing field, but not against heavy subsidization, especially from a country that is notorious for stealing everyone's IP and undercutting those very same companies with their own R&D. To add, the amount of data collection, cameras, etc that are sent back to the CCP is enormous, hence why Lotus and several brands had to remove certain tech from their cars in order to be sold here. It IS a matter of security whether you like it or not.
...If only you were in some of the meetings I've been in to hear how the Chinese auto companies are swarming countries such as Mexico, Canada, Australia and many European countries with unfair trade and business practices.
They play by completely different rules. This is a FACT and cannot be disputed. So those saying 'let them in' have no idea what they're in store for. As many auto executives across the globe, and several independent dealership franchises have said...they're like locusts. They will swarm, undercut and only care about dominating market share with any means necessary. And for customers, yes, they will get a very cheap car relative to their competitors, but when it's time for warranty claims, service, etc, the customers are left holding the bag many times. That is what the bill is trying to protect against.
Several automotive companies are owned by Chinese, Indian, Arab, etc investors, which is totally fine and warranted. That's the way of the global economy. So Merc or Volvo, being prime examples, are exempt and rightfully so, because they're not being subsidized like the 100% owned and operated Chinese companies.
There's a big difference there.
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