Hyundai CEO Warns Chinese Cars Threaten US Market

Hyundai Motor CEO Jose Munoz warned that Chinese automakers could disrupt the US auto market if current tariffs and safeguards are removed, pointing to their aggressive pricing and rapid market gains in Europe. Speaking in San Jose, California, Munoz said Chinese vehicles are 30 to 40 percent cheaper than competing models in some European markets like Italy, Spain, and France, even with European Union tariffs in place. This price advantage has helped Chinese brands gain significant market share, with Chinese-branded cars accounting for more than 9 percent of EU sales in the first half of 2026, according to the European Automobile Manufacturers Association. In the United Kingdom, which has no tariffs on Chinese cars, Chinese brands captured 15 percent of new car registrations earlier in 2026, data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders showed. Munoz, who previously oversaw Nissan's China operations for about a decade, said the UK illustrates what could happen in the United States without sufficient protections. "The UK, which in the past was a very profitable, very strong market, has become like China.