Trump Open to Chinese Automakers Building Cars in America

President Donald Trump said during a recent television interview that he would let Chinese car companies establish manufacturing facilities inside the United States, despite intense pushback from automakers and congressional leaders.

Speaking on Fox News’s The Ingraham Angle, Trump drew a direct comparison to foreign brands that already operate domestic assembly plants.

"If China wanted to come in and open a plant to build their cars here, I'd be okay with that," Trump said. "Japan does it, but they hire our people. The big thing is they hire our people."

While indicating he's open to domestic Chinese-owned factories, Trump drew a hard line against vehicles assembled across the Mexican border to circumvent trade barriers. He emphasized that he remains opposed to Chinese automakers assembling vehicles in Mexico and shipping them into the U.S. market.

The comments come ahead of an upcoming bilateral summit in Washington where Trump is scheduled to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Trump also forcefully denied claims from U.S. Senator Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), who publicly raised concerns that the administration was preparing to allow Chinese vehicles into the U.S. as part of a broader trade package. Trump labeled the report a "total phony rumor" and reiterated that existing trade restrictions—including tariffs exceeding 100 percent on Chinese electric vehicles—remain firmly in place.

Trump's willingness to entertain U.S.-based Chinese production stands in contrast to position papers released by domestic and international legacy automakers.

The Alliance for Automotive Innovation—representing major manufacturers including General Motors, Ford, Toyota, Volkswagen, Hyundai, Honda, and Stellantis—recently petitioned Congress to enact a permanent legislative ban preventing Chinese vehicles from entering the American market.

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