Cybersecurity Policy Report, Bipartisan House Bill Would Ban Chinese Connected Cars, (May 11, 2026)
A bipartisan House bill would ban imports of connected cars from China to prevent the Chinese government from exploiting data collected from U.S. drivers and roadways.
Reps. John Moolenaar (R., Mich.), chairman of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, and Debbie Dingell (D., Mich.) today announced the introduction of the Connected Vehicle Security Act.
The House bill is a companion to Senate legislation (S 4429) sponsored by Sens. Bernie Moreno (R., Ohio) and Elissa Slotkin (D., Mich.). Reps. Moolenaar and Dingell indicated last week that they would introduce their bill (CPR, May 8).
“Modern vehicles integrate advanced communications technology capable of collecting and transmitting vast amounts of sensitive data, including location, operational data, and personal information,” Reps. Moolenaar and Dingell said in a news release.
“In some cases, the vehicles can also be remotely accessed and controlled. China now exports nearly 8 million vehicles annually, approximately twice the volume of any other country. The country’s automotive companies operate under Chinese law that forces them to cooperate with China’s state security and intelligence services upon demand,” they said.
Imports of connected cars and automotive software from China, Iran, North Korea, and Russia would be banned beginning Jan. 1, 2027, under the bill. A ban on automotive hardware imports from those nations would kick in on Jan. 1, 2030.
The Commerce Department already has enacted an import ban that begins next year on vehicles and vehicle technology from adversarial foreign nations using its authorities under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and a 2019 presidential order directing it to secure information and communications technology and services supply chains (CPR, Jan. 14, 2025).
Motivations for the bill include competitive threats to the U.S. auto industry in addition to cybersecurity concerns, according to Reps. Moolenaar and Dingell.
“China cheats in every industry, and in autos it is overproducing vehicles and components, and selling them for cheap in hopes they will put our companies out of business,” Rep. Moolenaar said. “These companies should not be allowed to do business in America, and their products shouldn’t be in our cars or threatening our infrastructure.”
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