A group of Democratic members of Congress is pushing new Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum to follow the lead of the U.S. in restricting sales of "connected vehicles" from China.

U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) and U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) led a group of House and Senate members in a letter to Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, urging her to address the national security threat posed by advanced vehicles with ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

The bicameral letter asks Sheinbaum – who took office as Mexico’s President on October 1 – "to take steps to scrutinize the manufacturing and sale of these vehicles," and comes a week after the U.S. Department of Commerce announced restrictions on the import and sale of connected vehicles tied to the CCP.

The letter begins with the following: "As you prepare to take office, we ask that you quickly turn your attention to a new and growing issue: the national security risks to both our nations from the widespread presence of 'connected' vehicles built by companies with deep ties to the Chinese Communist Party." It then explains the concerns with Chinese connected vehicles as follows:

Today’s vehicles – including those made by Chinese companies – are equipped with sophisticated sensors, powerful computers, and networking capabilities that allow these connected vehicles to gather, store and transmit large amounts of data about their occupants and their surroundings. This includes 3D mapping, live action video, and geolocation of individuals. Chinese automakers have made significant inroads in the Mexican market, more than tripling their share of Mexico’s market since the start of this decade – with the data from that fleet of vehicles accessible to the Chinese Communist Party. This growth has rightly raised significant concerns with us in Congress, and we believe that these Chinese companies, which receive huge state subsidies, are now seeking to use Mexico as a base to enter the U.S. market.

We believe that this body of data, under the control of the Chinese Communist Party, is a national security threat. These vehicles can gather private, personal data on individuals, gather intelligence valuable to a potential adversary like China, and can even launch cyber attacks against critical infrastructure systems. Indeed, China itself recognizes the sensitive capabilities of connected vehicles and has taken actions to restrict the operation of foreign vehicles in China accordingly.

The letter then asks Sheinbaum to take the following steps:

• "Formalize the current government’s policy, outlined in media reports, of scrutinizing federal economic development incentives – such as tax incentives and reduced utility and land costs – to firms with ties to the Chinese Communist Party."
• "Establish a national security review process to address risks posed by the manufacture or sale of vehicles built by Chinese firms to Mexico’s people, Mexico’s national security, and the regional security of North American and Organization of American States nations. Such a process would follow-up the December 2023 Memorandum of Intent signed by the finance ministers of both our nations, which affirmed the importance of foreign investment screening in protecting national security."
• "Send a delegation from her new administration to meet with officials from the U.S. Department of Commerce, the U.S. Department of Treasury, the Office of the United States Trade Representative, the National Economic Council, and the National Security Council by early 2025 to discuss how our nations can work together to address these risks."

These same issues have been raised in Canada, and it would not be surprising if actions were taken in relation to Chinese connected vehicles there as well.