Senate Commerce panel advances bill tightening restrictions on Chinese-linked vehicles, but Cruz says Mercedes-Benz may be swept in

The Senate Commerce Committee advanced bipartisan legislation that would tighten restrictions on Chinese automakers and Chinese-linked vehicle technology in the U.S., but Chairman Ted Cruz said the bill's 15% Chinese ownership threshold could unintentionally cover Mercedes-Benz. Cruz said Mercedes-Benz could be captured because of its nearly 20% passive Chinese investment and said the provision would need to be changed before the measure becomes law. Sen. Bernie Moreno, who introduced the bill with Sen. Elissa Slotkin, said Mercedes-Benz would have until 2030 to comply with the ownership limit and could seek a waiver. The measure would codify federal restrictions aimed at keeping Chinese-linked vehicle technology out of the U.S. over national security concerns that connected cars could collect sensitive data. Moreno also said General Motors plans to move production of the Chinese-made Buick Envision to the United States for the 2028 model year, Ford has agreed to shift Chinese-made Lincolns to the United States, and Waymo has committed to look at a Detroit-based manufacturer for future platforms instead of sourcing from China-linked arrangements.