U.S. auto dealers are pressing Washington to permanently bar Chinese brands from producing or selling vehicles in the United States, while South Korean automakers are calling for stronger defenses as Chinese-made EVs gain ground at home. The American International Automobile Dealers Association said in a statement issued on the 4th under the name of Chairman Mike Alford that Chinese manufacturers, backed by heavy subsidies, excess capacity and predatory export practices, are trying to dominate the sector. The United States already imposes up to 125% in additional tariffs on Chinese-made electric vehicles under Section 301 (a U.S. trade enforcement provision), on top of a 2.5% base tariff, leaving them with only a small share of the U.S. market. Even so, the group pointed to rapid expansion elsewhere: Chinese-brand sales in Europe rose 118% year-on-year as of June this year, pushing market share to a record 10.9%, and one in five new cars sold in Mexico last year was Chinese-made. In South Korea, automakers say Chinese EV makers benefit from vertical integration (controlling more of the supply chain), including batteries, and are steadily advancing in the domestic market. New registrations of Chinese-made EVs rose 178.7% year-on-year to 69,513 in the first half of this year, while their share climbed to 35.0% from 26.8%. Concerns have deepened after EVs were excluded from the government's tax reform proposal for a domestic production tax credit (a tax incentive for local manufacturing). The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy also met Hyundai Motor, GM Korea, KG Mobility and Renault Korea in Seoul on the 13th, where automakers sought policy support to keep domestic output above 4 million vehicles a year amid intensifying global EV competition.