Days before U.S. President Donald Trump's visit to China, U.S. auto industry leaders and lawmakers called on him to bar China from accessing the American car market, Reuters reported Monday.
The plea came after Democratic Senator Elissa Slotkin visited the Detroit Economic Club to urge Trump to not sign a deal with Chinese President Xi Jinping to allow Chinese investment in the car industry, the report said.
Slotkin and Republican Senator Bernie Moreno of Ohio filed a bill that would explicitly prohibit Chinese cars in the U.S. over data security concerns, the report said.
In January, Trump said in a Detroit Economic Club event that it would be great for Chinese carmakers to set up shop in the U.S., the report said.
Trump's comments alarmed industry leaders who have sought to lobby earlier administrations to bar Chinese cars in the U.S., Reuters said.