John Clark

The global automotive industry is at a crossroads. Chinese automakers have captured over two-thirds of China’s auto market and expanded abroad rapidly, helping the country become the world’s number one producer and exporter of vehicles. Chinese automotive suppliers, most notably electric vehicle (EV) battery makers, are establishing factories overseas and licensing their technology to foreign automakers.

On September 26, the US Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) issued a proposed rule on securing the information and communications technology and services (ICTS) supply chain for connected vehicles (CVs). The proposed rule would prohibit several types of ICTS transactions, most notably the import of Chinese CVs and certain hardware absent an authorization from BIS.

US-China trade continued to decline in the first half of 2024, reaching 2.3 percent year-over-year after both US exports to and imports from China contracted. That said, this is the slowest contraction in overall US-China trade since the second half of 2022.

The last few months have seen multiple developments affecting the sector, particularly the automotive industry. China increased automotive purchase subsidies and approved the first batch of companies to participate in its pilot scheme for L3 and L4 autonomous vehicle testing.

The 20th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party concluded its third plenum last Thursday in Beijing. Over the course of the meetings, senior party leaders deliberated a wide range of economic and social policy initiatives that will have lasting implications for companies operating in China.