Three Democratic senators are urging President Donald Trump to block Chinese automakers from entering the US market — whether through imports from other North American countries or by establishing production domestically. In a letter sent to the White House last week, the senators warned that allowing Chinese automakers in would create an “insurmountable economic advantage” that American automakers could not overcome, and a national security risk “that could never be reversed.” According to the senators, “while a new plant opened by a Chinese automaker in the United States may create some assembly and temporary construction jobs, that small number of jobs will not make up for the lasting job loss,” the letter stated. The letter was signed by Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin, Elissa Slotkin of Michigan, and Chuck Schumer of New York — the latter serving as the Senate Minority Leader. Schumer served as Majority Leader from 2021 to 2025, when Democrats held the chamber. Slotkin, a former national security official, sits on the Armed Services Committee, where she has focused on defense manufacturing and countering China, while Baldwin’s work has been centering on labor and education policy. Trade Tensions The letter comes as trade pressures rise in North America, ahead of the renegotiation of the US-Mexico-Canada (Free Trade) Agreement (or USMCA). Recent tensions between the US and Canada have been tainting the deal, as uncertainty around Chinese automakers entering the continent increases following the recent Canada-China trade deal. Earlier this year, the Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced that Ottawa will allow up to 49,000 Chinese EVs to enter the country per year with a lower tariff of 6.1%. The figures represent a sharp drop from the 100% duty imposed in late 2024 by former PM Justin Trudeau, mirroring the neighboring country’s moves. Under former President Joe Biden, the