Just south of California, a wave of cheap, high-tech Chinese cars is inching toward the US, and a legal loophole is already letting some through.
In Mexico’s border cities, dealerships are packed with sleek electric vehicles, hybrids and gas-powered SUVs priced far below anything on American lots.
Some start around $20,000, a price point that no new car in the US currently hits.
Washington has worked to keep them out, slapping heavy tariffs on Chinese imports and enforcing strict safety rules.
Lawmakers are now pushing to go further, including banning vehicles entering through Mexico or Canada.But there’s a workaround.
Mexican residents, including those who live in Mexico but work in the US, can legally drive their vehicles across the border, even if those cars don’t meet American standards.
That means Chinese EVs have already been showing up in California.
A BYD dealership in Tijuana’s Zona Río confirmed to The California Post that vehicles are being purchased and driven into San Diego,....
