Experts have called on President Joe Biden to ban all imports of Chinese-made electric vehicles to the United States over national security fears.
Senator Sherrod Brown, who represents Ohio, made the call after saying that American workers would be battered by the import of cheap electric vehicles manufactured in China.
There have been suggestions that Chinese companies could circumvent any high tariffs by building a production site in Mexico and importing them for cheap rates - something which has inflamed tensions further.
Currently, a 25 per cent tariff applies to imports of EVs from China, whereas imports from Mexico would be charged at a tariff rate of just 2.5 per cent.
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Joe Biden has been urged to ban the sale of Chinese EVs
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The Democrat has come out in full support of a ban on the sale of Chinese EVs in the US, saying it would have huge benefits for his constituents, some of whom are auto workers.
Brown, who is also the chair of the Senate Banking Committee, has been supportive of efforts from the White House to crack down on vehicles made in China after President Biden warned that they could "flood the market".
Posting a video to social media site X, formerly known as Twitter, Brown explained why he wanted President Biden to ban Chinese EVs.
He said: "I'm calling for a total ban of Chinese electric vehicles. I don't care what kind of car you drive.
"All I want is that those cars be made in America by American workers. We make the best cars in the world. We drive the best cars in the world.
"My wife Connie and I each drive a Jeep Cherokee made in Toledo, Ohio, by union workers and many, many of the parts in the supply chain are also made in Ohio.
"The Chinese, so often, when they sell things into this country, they cheat. It's not a level playing field.
"We have all seen what Chinese cheating has done to our economy over the years. It's wrong for our country. It's wrong for our workers. It's wrong for our communities."
The Institute for Energy Research (IER) warned in March of the "existential threat" posed by Chinese electric vehicles, given Biden's move to phase out the sale of petrol and diesel vehicles.
Manufacturers in China benefit from cheap manufacturing costs and an abundance of raw materials to make the vehicles for far lower prices than legacy automakers in North America and Europe.
The IER said that moving forward with repressive actions against internal combustion engine vehicles could "place the US car market into China's hands".
BYD - which stands for Build Your Dreams - is one of the world's biggest manufacturers of electric vehicles and has been making major headway into established markets with plans to expand further in the UK, European Union and in North America.
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BYD is looking to expand its operations around the world
GettyIn the final quarter of 2023, BYD overtook Tesla as the biggest manufacturer of EVs in the world, selling 526,000 EVs, compared to 484,500 Tesla vehicles.