WASHINGTON – Today, Senators Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) and Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) introduced the Connected Vehicle Security Act of 2026 to defend the American auto industry from the existential threat of predatory Chinese automobiles by banning them and their connected components from the American market. This bill would prohibit the import, sale, and operation of vehicles manufactured in China—or any other country of concern—and ban the use of Chinese-developed connected vehicle technologies, such as software, and data systems on American roads.
“The American auto industry is the backbone of the American industrial economy, we cannot afford to make the same mistakes globalists have made for decades and see these great American companies devastated by predatory and massively subsidized Chinese state enterprises hellbent on the destruction of our economy,” said Senator Moreno. “As Europe, Mexico, and others allow their markets to be overrun by Chinese predators, the U.S. must act before it’s too late. The answer is simple: Chinese vehicles can never be allowed into the U.S. market—the fate of the American auto industry and countless autoworkers depends on it.”
“Chinese cars are a serious threat to America’s national security and Michigan’s economic security,” said Senator Slotkin. “Chinese cars are surveillance packages on wheels, with the ability to collect on American citizens and sensitive sites. The Chinese Communist Party’s playbook of heavily subsidizing their product, underselling the competition, and then having a monopoly over that sector puts Michigan’s auto industry and our millions of workers at risk. We need to act now, and get this right. I look forward to continued work on this bill with Senator Moreno, our workers, our manufacturers and anyone else to stop Chinese vehicles from ever coming into the United States.”
“Our national and economic security relies on a strong US auto industry,” said UAW President Shawn Fain. “The American Dream was launched and sustained out of good union auto jobs here in the United States. If we want to rebuild US manufacturing and raise standards for the working class, we can’t keep offshoring and outsourcing our auto industry, driving a global race to the bottom for short term corporate profits. Our US auto industry must invest in cutting-edge technology and build affordable, high-quality vehicles for the American consumer, built by UAW autoworkers. We can’t keep selling out the US working class to transnational corporations that have no respect for labor rights. By building on and strengthening the existing connected vehicles rule, this legislation puts common sense guardrails on a major threat to our nation’s auto industry.”
“We congratulate Senators Moreno and Slotkin on introducing The Connected Vehicle Security Act of 2026,” said the CAR Coalition. “As government and industry share a commitment to ensuring the automotive supply chain be free of connections to certain countries, this legislation will confirm that takes place. The CAR Coalition stands ready to work with Senator Moreno, the Administration, bill sponsors, and others to ensure that the U.S. continues to have a robust and secure aftermarket supply chain, which safeguards economic growth and national security.”
“America needs a hard break from China that restores our economic sovereignty and prevents the Chinese Communist Party from subverting our markets,” Oren Cass, chief economist for American Compass said. “Nowhere is that priority more pressing than the automotive sector. Beijing’s immense subsidies and beggar-thy-neighbor policies are fueling a rapid Chinese takeover around the globe—a threat that, left unchecked, will undermine American industry, trade policy, and national security. The Connected Vehicle Security Act is a vital step toward keeping the CCP and its economic distortions outside our borders, protecting a robust free market, ensuring the success of American automakers, and rebuilding a competitive American industrial base.”
“GM commends Senators Moreno (R-OH) and Slotkin (D-MI) on the introduction of the Connected Vehicle Security Act of 2026,” said General Motors. “General Motors supports policies that protect and strengthen American manufacturing and the global competitiveness of U.S. automakers, and we remain committed to long-term investments in our domestic workforce, facilities, and technology. As we have said many times, we can compete with anyone in the world when we are given a level playing field. We look forward to continuing to work with both offices through the legislative process.”
The Connected Vehicle Security Act of 2026:
- Bans foreign adversary vehicles by prohibiting the importation, manufacture, sale, and resale of connected vehicles, software, and hardware linked to China or other foreign adversaries, including those from joint ventures or entities under their control;
- Empowers the Department of Commerce to identify and block high-risk vehicle technologies, components, and transactions that threaten U.S. economic or national security;
- Establishes enforcement mechanisms to ensure prohibited technologies are kept out of the U.S. market; and
- Phases implementation with vehicle and software restrictions taking effect in 2027, and hardware restrictions in 2030, giving U.S. industry time secure domestic supply, in line with the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) Connected Vehicles rule.
Bill text can be found HERE and a one-pager can be found HERE.
