The US Department of Commerce is giving a new twist to the trade war with China. This Monday, it published a legislative proposal to ban imports from China of hardware and software integrated into vehicle connectivity systems and automated driving systems – that is, connected to the Internet – because they open the door to possible espionage according to the Financial Times. A ban that is not definitive but that would affect practically all current car models, because in one way or another, they have some type of software based on connectivity.
“Currently, cars are equipped with cameras, microphones, GPS tracking systems and other internet-connected technologies,” U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said in statements published by Politico. “It doesn’t take much imagination to understand how a foreign adversary with access to this information could pose a serious risk to both our national security and the privacy of American citizens.”
The proposed rule affects both vehicles already assembled and the components themselves that may be used by U.S. automakers.
Data and infrastructure collection
The Biden administration’s concern is not only about this potential direct spying, but also because this type of software could facilitate the collection of data on the drivers of these vehicles and on American infrastructure. It also concerns components and cars manufactured in Russia, but with the sanctions imposed after the invasion of Ukraine, these imports are non-existent.
The software ban would not go into effect for a few years, according to the aforementioned media outlets. Now, the Commerce Department is opening a public comment period and the new legislation is expected to be approved before President Joe Biden leaves the White House in early 2025.
This is not the only measure to try to stop the arrival of cars from the Asian giant. A few days ago, the Democratic administration gave the green light to tariffs of up to 100% on electric vehicles manufactured in this country.
“We know the Chinese playbook: they subsidize, so we are not going to wait until our roads are full of vehicles and the risk is extremely high,” the US Secretary of Commerce justified this Monday.
