Commerce Dept. Proposes Ban on Automotive Software & Hardware From China, Russia

The US Department of Commerce (DoC) today announced a proposed ban on the software and hardware made by foreign adversaries, particularly that of China and Russia, used in connected vehicles on US roads.

"Connected" vehicles are those with onboard network hardware that allows for Internet access, permitting them to share data with devices both inside and outside the vehicle.

This move is reportedly due to national security concerns and would ban nearly all Chinese vehicles from the US market. It would also prohibit the testing of self-driving cars in the US by foreign adversaries as well as force American automakers to remove the software and hardware from these adversaries in their vehicles.

"When foreign adversaries build software to make a vehicle, that means it can be used for surveillance, can be remotely controlled, which threatens the privacy and safety of Americans on the road," Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said in a briefing, noting that foreign adversaries could cause crashes and block roads in extreme circumstances. 

This isn't the first time automotive cybersecurity concerns have brought up by the Biden administration, however. Back in February, the White House launched an investigation into whether Chinese vehicle imports were a threat to national security — it's now clear that the administration found its answer. 

A senior administration official reportedly confirmed that while nearly all Chinese cars and trucks will be banned, foreign automakers of concern will be allowed to seek out special authorizations to be exempted from such regulations.

The proposal is expected to make the software ban effective in the 2027 model year and the hardware ban in the 2030 model year or January 2029. The public will have 30 days to comment on the proposal, and the Commerce Department expects to have it finalized by Jan. 20.