US has no excuse to not allow Chinese cars to enter the US market.
All US states are moving to Tier II Bin 4(aka California Emission) emission standard in 2008, and the infamous California emission(California, New York, and three other states) gets even tougher. Basically, what the CARB wants are cars whose exhaust emissions are cleaner than the intake air, unthinkable to the Chinese.
Take note, even Audi and Mercedes flunked this California emission once. Euro4 is a joke next to the California emission.
OK, let's look at a few facts here..............first, let's keep in mind that ALL foreign car companies (american, german, japanese, etc...) are PARTNERSHIPS with a chinese company - and under chinese law the foreign company CANNOT have a majority ownership in the company.
This is the reason why global giants are not seriously considering exporting from China seriously, and India is displacing China as the low-cost auto-manufacturing hub in the region.
Second, not ALL american "companies" (i.e. brands) are here. The "big three" are here (GM, Ford and Chrysler) but NOT all of their subsidaries. In other words, Ford does not sell Lincoln or Mercury in China, GM does not sell Pontiac and Chrysler does not sell Dodge.
I fully support the chinese car companies desire to export their products to the rest of the world (with the USA being a prime location), but the doors of trade MUST open both ways and be equal for all. I know that the cost of chinese import taxes has dropped significantly as a result of China being a member of the WTO, but it is still higher than the cost of import taxes for chinese products being imported into the USA. Yes, one can say that this was done to "protect" the chinese economy as it developed into a open market system (due to differences in labor costs) - but I think that it's time to re-evaluate that position. China needs to open it's trade doors completely and with very little restriction..........I think that this will make quality control a higher priority and will result in a higher quality product that is sold by chinese companies. Who ends up benefitting from all of this? The consumer - better quality, better products and more satisfaction - at a reasonable price.
You say the right words for the first time.
