WASHINGTON, April 28 (Reuters) - More than 70 Democrats

in the U.S. House of Representatives urged President Donald

Trump on Tuesday not to permit Chinese automakers to build or

sell cars in the United States.

The lawmakers, led by Representative Debbie Dingell and Ro

Khanna, urged Trump to keep a ban in place that has the strong

backing of U.S. and foreign carmakers and other auto groups.

Three Democratic senators made a similar push this month,

ahead of Trump's planned summit with Chinese President Xi

Jinping in May.

"We must not cede the American auto industry to a strategic

competitor intent on global dominance," the lawmakers said in a

letter.

"We urge you to take clear and decisive action to ensure

that Chinese automakers are not permitted to enter the United

States market in any capacity."

The Biden administration imposed sweeping regulations in

January 2025 that effectively ban Chinese automakers from

selling passenger vehicles in the United States, ⁠citing

national security concerns linked to the vehicles' ability to

collect sensitive data on American owners.

High tariffs also face Chinese autos, but U.S. consumers

have become more interested in the vehicles, recent surveys

show.

In a statement, the Chinese Embassy in Washington urged the

United States to "stop overstretching the concept of national

security, cease discriminatory and exclusionary measures and

provide a fair, transparent, and non-discriminatory business

environment."

The White House responded, "While the administration is

always working to secure more investment into America's

industrial resurgence, any notion that we would ever compromise

our national security to do so is baseless and false."

In January, Trump said he was open to Chinese automakers

building vehicles in the United States.

"If they want to come ​in and build a plant and hire you and

hire your friends and your neighbors, that's great, I love

that," he ​told the Detroit Economic Club.

Last month, auto trade groups representing nearly all major

car companies urged the U.S. government to keep out Chinese

carmakers.

Republican Senator Bernie Moreno ​of Ohio said he would

propose legislation ​to seal off the United ⁠States so "there's

never a scenario where a Chinese automobile will enter our

market, that's hardware, that's software, that's partnerships."