The Connected Vehicle Security Act has garnered 55 cosponsors in the Senate and 81 in the House and is slated for a floor vote early next week to exclude Chinese automotive tech from the US. Senator Rand Paul blocked the bill last week, seeking to maintain loopholes for European automakers with Chinese licensing deals or investment, specifically mentioning CATL's deal with Ford and investments in Mercedes.

The vote follows comments from President Trump that he would welcome Chinese automakers building production plants within the US to circumvent existing trade barriers. Currently, Chinese vehicles are restricted by tariffs above 100% and a 2025 security rule for connected vehicles. While some analysts believe Chinese EVs will enter the market regardless of diplomatic deals, the chairman of Nissan recently stated there is little chance of the US market opening to those makers over the next 5 years.