Led by the automaker BYD, China has established itself as the main car supplier in Mexico. The US worries China could use Mexico as a “back door” to sidestep tariffs and gain footing in the US market.

Foreign investment would be an economic boost for Mexico. The company has claimed that a plant there would create about 10,000 jobs. A Tesla competitor, BYD markets its Dolphin Mini model in Mexico for about 398,800 pesos—about $21,300 dollars—a little more than half the price of the cheapest Tesla model.

    • mommykink@lemmy.worldEnglish
      478·
      4 months ago

      Said it a while ago, the US is losing at capitalism for the first time in modern history and doesn’t know how to cope

      • arin@lemmy.worldEnglish
        81·
        3 months ago

        Yes we do, we ban their sales here in USA! And add tariffs!

        • SlopppyEngineer@lemmy.worldEnglish
          14·
          3 months ago

          China builds the cars in Mexico, that forms a tariff free zone with the USA. And USA can’t exactly just ban sales from Mexico because a lot of USA companies moved their operation to Mexico for cheaper labor.

      • RangerJosie@lemmy.worldEnglish
        63·
        4 months ago

        It’s glorious to watch. Even from within. Even knowing I’m boned when this house of cards finally tumbles.

        I’m sure there’s a German word for that.

        • DMBFFF@lemmy.worldOPEnglish
          23·
          3 months ago

          Even knowing I’m boned when this house of cards finally tumbles.

          You probably have time to prepare. 🙂

    • catloaf@lemm.eeEnglish
      173·
      3 months ago

      Is it a better product? How is the quality, the maintainability? How do they treat the environment and their workers? These are all factors I think about when considering a purchase.

      • eskimofry@lemmy.worldEnglish
        83·
        3 months ago

        Why won’t the Americans let in the chinese manufacturers to find out? Surely if the cars are trash they have nothing to worry about?

        • catloaf@lemm.eeEnglish
          6·
          3 months ago

          That’s the thing about economics. Humans are not rational actors. And even if they were, they don’t have perfect information.

          For example, there’s a thing going around in the US right now about raw milk. It’s not allowed to be sold because of the risk of disease. But people are idiots and seek it out anyway, and get themselves sick.

          For cars, assume one of them is an absolute lemon and deathtrap. It constantly needs maintenance, and if you get in a crash, you die. You won’t know about the former until a few years after you’ve bought it, and if the latter happens, you can’t seek any recourse because you’re dead.

          Now, I’m not saying that this applies to the Chinese EVs, exactly, but we haven’t seen them shaken out in the US yet, and China doesn’t have a very good track record with consumer safety in the recent past.

          • Aceticon@lemmy.worldEnglish
            63·
            3 months ago

            To counter those vague negative “maybes” of yours, I just want to point out that the EU, which have much more tight regulations on just about everything than the US, especially when it comes to consumer protection, allows the sale of BDY cars.

            If a regulatory regime which is more strict when it comes to consumer protection than the US allows such cars to be sold, then claiming or implying that the reason for the US to block their sale there is that they might be dangerous is quite the flight of fantasy.

      • RatherBeMTB@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
        53·
        3 months ago

        It is much better. US car brands look like they are stuck in the 90s. Still, I don’t get the preoccupation from the US, almost all cars in Mexico have been from Asia for at least a decade or maybe more. And before that it was all Volkswagen.

    • ms.lane@lemmy.worldEnglish
      153·
      4 months ago

      I was going to say something about Chinese vehicles not entirely being the greatest quality, but then I remembered we’re comparing it to American vehicles.

      Better product, half the cost. Can’t go wrong.

  • Flying Squid@lemmy.worldMEnglish
    151·
    3 months ago

    China Conquers Mexico

    …’s Automotive Market, and the US Is Worried

    Give me a heart attack this morning, why don’t you?