Chinese car manufacturers have been called out by a US lawmaker as President Biden is urged to act fast.
President Joe Biden has been told to ban the sale of new electric cars made in China as fears grow over new rivals in the automotive space.
Speaking on X, Sherrod Brown, the US Senator for Ohio, said he wanted cars “made in America by American workers” to be on the streets as he attacked Chinese production.
The Democrat lawmaker suggested China would not operate on a “level playing field” and suggested the introduction of the vehicles was “wrong” for the country.
The comments are some of the strongest remarks against Chinese vehicle production as models start to be sold in the West.
He said: “I’m calling for a total ban of Chinese electric vehicles. I don’t care what kind of car you drive. All I want is that those cars to be made in America by American workers. We make the best cars in the world, we drive the best cars in the world.
“My wife Connie and I each drive a Jeep Cherokee made in Toledo, Ohio by union workers and many many of the parts in the supply chain are also made in Ohio.
“The Chinese so often when they sell things into this country, they cheat. It’s not a level playing field. We all have seen what Chinese cheating has done to our economy over the years.
“It’s wrong for our country, it’s wrong for our workers, it’s wrong for our communities.”
However, China is set to dominate the global EV market with production and take-up of EV models significantly higher.
It is predicted that around 11.5 million new electric models will be sold in the country in 2024, around a 44 percent share of all new vehicle sales.
Europe recorded around 3.3 million EV sales with the US suffering a difficult year with just over one million models sold.
Back in February, the President suggested he would take robust action against Chinese automakers.
The administration noted possible “national security risks from connected vehicles made in the country”.
This is because a connected vehicle can connect a “large amount of sensor data on their drivers and passengers”.
There are fears that car onboard cameras could be used to regularly “record detailed information on US infrastructure”.
Earlier this year, a statement read: “Today, President Biden is directing his Administration to take unprecedented action to address the national security risks from connected autos that incorporate technology from China and other countries of concern.”
