Ohio Democrat Asks Biden to Permanently Ban EVs Made by Chinese Firms
Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, wrote to President Joe Biden saying that he should "take bold, aggressive action and to permanently ban" electric vehicles "produced by Chinese companies or whatever subsidiaries they establish to conceal their origins."
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Brown, who is one of the most endangered incumbent senators up for reelection this year, wrote on April 11: "Allowing these automobiles into the United States would harm American manufacturing, American workers, American consumers, and American security. Chinese EVs, highly subsidized by the Chinese government, could decimate our domestic automakers, harm American workers -- many of whom are represented by the United Autoworkers (UAW) -- and give China access to sensitive personal data. There are currently no Chinese EVs for sale in the United States, and we must keep it that way."
Polestar is owned by Volvo and Geely; Volvo's majority owner is also the Chinese automaker Geely. Polestars are also made in China. According to Car and Driver, there were 9,850 Polestar 2 EVs sold in the U.S. in 2022, and, according to Wards Auto, it sold 6,736 in the U.S. in 2023. Brown's press office didn't respond to a question about the factual basis of his claim. Polestar says it will begin building one of its EVs in South Carolina in the middle of this year.
Volvo is also supposed to release a hatchback EV in the U.S. this summer. According to the Detroit Free Press, it will be able to neutralize the 25% Section 301 tariff on autos because of its exports from the U.S. Currently, that model is only made in China, but Volvo is planning a plant in Belgium.