(FreePressBeacon.com) – Despite blasting Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump’s America First agenda, the Biden-Harris administration is taking a leaf out of his book by unveiling plans to impose a 100% tariff on Chinese electric vehicles.
The current administration is also seeking to ban Chinese and Russian technology in U.S. vehicles.
This aggressive stance supposedly aims to protect national security and American jobs, but critics argue the move comes too little, too late.
Specifically, the White House has proposed new rules that would effectively block the sale or import of connected vehicle software from “countries of concern,” primarily targeting China.
This move comes as part of a broader strategy to counter potential cyber threats and foreign influence in the U.S. auto sector.
National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan emphasized the urgency of these measures, stating, “We’ve already seen ample evidence of [China] pre-positioning malware on a critical infrastructure for the purpose of disruption and sabotage.”
“And with potentially millions of vehicles on the road, each with 10- to 15-year life spans, the risk of disruption and sabotage increases dramatically,” he added.
The proposed ban would cover a wide range of components, including Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, cellular and satellite modules, cameras, sensors and onboard computers.
This thorough approach seeks to eliminate potential vulnerabilities that foreign adversaries could exploit.
U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo defended the move, saying, “We’ll secure our cars and we’ll secure the American people, including our children, from potential surveillance, remote access and control, and protecting Americans from bad actors and trying to give every American peace of mind.”
While the administration claims this is purely a national security measure, it is hard to ignore the potential economic benefits for American automakers.
The ban on Chinese software would take effect for model year 2027 vehicles, while the hardware prohibition would begin with model year 2030 vehicles.
This timeline gives U.S. manufacturers enough time to adapt and potentially gain a competitive edge.
Critics argue that this move is long overdue, pointing to the alarming increase in Chinese-made car sales in the U.S.
In 2023 alone, 104,000 Chinese-made vehicles were sold on American soil, a staggering 45% increase from the previous year.
This trend has raised concerns about the potential for widespread surveillance and remote control of American vehicles by foreign entities.
The Commerce Department will allow a 30-day public comment period before finalizing the rule, with the administration trying to implement these changes before Biden’s term ends.
As America takes steps to protect its automotive industry and national security, it is clear that the battle against foreign influence in critical infrastructure is far from over.
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