Two Republican Senators have recently introduced legislation that would raise tariffs on imports of Chinese autos and clean energy products.

Two members of a key House Committee dealing with China issues were recently asked about the threat of Chinese auto imports, and responded by reiterating the calls for action they made last year.

Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) has proposed legislation that would increase the base rate tariffs on automobiles from Chinese producers – whether made in China or elsewhere – to 100 percent, for a total tariff of 125 percent when combined with the Section 301 tariffs currently in effect.

Today, China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) criticized the U.S. for creating "obstacles" for Chinese autos to enter the U.S. market, amidst new announcements from the Biden administration that target China and Chinese automobiles.

President Biden has directed the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) at the Commerce Department to investigate potential national security concerns related to Chinese access to Americans' "connected vehicles."

In a recent report, a U.S. manufacturing group raised concerns about the threat of Chinese automobile companies using Mexico as a way to avoid U.S. tariffs imposed on Chinese imports, and recommended a number of measures to stop this.

As a follow-up to a recent piece on Volkswagen products being caught up by the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA), there have been several reactions that are worth noting.