Chinese parts are already in U.S. cars as lawmakers warn Trump against China auto deal

The exterior of a BYD Co. electric vehicle showroom, operated by Schiller Auto, in Budapest, Hungary, on Monday, May 27, 2024. Chinese EV giant BYD plans to set up its first European car plant in Hungary. Photographer: Akos Stiller/Bloomberg via Bloomberg | Bloomberg | As President Donald Trump meets Chinese President Xi Jinping this week, lawmakers in both parties are warning the White House not to use the U.S. auto market as a bargaining chip in any deal with Beijing . The warning stems in part from Trump's January suggestion that he could welcome Chinese automakers if they built vehicles in the U.S. with American workers — remarks that were later walked back but still rattled auto-state lawmakers, unions and industry groups. Trump in January in an appearance at the Detroit Economic Club said he would happily welcome Chinese automakers to manufacture in the U.S. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. For lawmakers in auto-heavy battleground states like Michigan and Ohio , even a limited opening for China could be politically explosive. They warn that if heavily subsidized Chinese automakers gain a foothold in the U.S. market, it could threaten domestic manufacturing jobs in states central to the 2026 midterm elections and the next presidential race. "If your state is in the Rust Belt, letting Chinese automakers into the U.S. …