A US senator has called for a ban on Chinese electric vehicles claiming they are an “existential threat” to the American industry.
Echoing concerns in Europe about the prospect of a flood of state-subsidised Chinese EVs, Senator Sherrod Brown, chair of the Senate Banking Committee commented on social media, said: "We cannot allow China to bring its government-backed cheating to the American auto industry".
A Democrat in the car-producing state of Ohio, Brown’s view reflects a growing tide of anger over Chinese-made EVs, though previous objections have largely called for tariffs to be imposed.
President Biden said in February he was starting an investigation into whether Chinese cars pose a national security risk.
Chinese-made cars could "collect large amounts of sensitive data on their drivers and passengers", the White House said.
Only this week, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said it would not allow a repeat of 2000 when Chinese imports flooded into the US.
America's airlines meanwhile have asked for approvals of new flights between the US and China to be halted due to Chinese restrictions.
A month ago, the European Commission imposed custom registration on Chinese EVs, a move seen as a precursor to tariffs being imposed if an EU investigation concludes they are being unfairly subsidised.
Around a quarter of EVs sold in Europe this year are forecast to come from China.