US carmakers ask Trump to block Chinese cars before Xi meeting

Major US automakers are pressing Donald Trump not to open the American market to Chinese cars. The warning comes as his meeting with Xi Jinping approaches and could become part of the wider trade talks.

For the industry, any green light for Chinese brands would mean more pressure on prices, margins and jobs. In Europe too, where tariffs and trade barriers are already a hot topic, the US-China dispute shows how strategic and political the car market has become.