Protecting America from Chinese Cars Act of 2026

This proposed legislation, known as the "Protecting America from Chinese Cars Act of 2026," seeks to prohibit the entry of connected vehicles into the United States if they are associated with designated foreign adversary countries. Specifically, a vehicle would be banned if its country of origin is a covered country or if its manufacturer is significantly controlled (more than 15% equity, voting interest, or board representation) by an entity from a covered country. The bill defines covered countries as the Democratic People's Republic of North Korea, the People's Republic of China, the Russian Federation, and the Islamic Republic of Iran.

An exception is provided for vehicles brought into the U.S. solely for testing and evaluation, provided they are not intended for public roads and the testing entity is U.S.-based with limited foreign control. Furthermore, the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, in consultation with the Secretary of Commerce, may authorize the entry of otherwise prohibited vehicles if it is determined, based on clear evidence and a risk assessment, that they pose no undue risk to national security, including data exfiltration or remote manipulation. Any such authorization requires a 60-day congressional notification period, during which Congress can disapprove the authorization, and the Secretary must publish a list of all authorized vehicles, detailing why they do not pose a risk.