That argument is only valid when it benefits us.

There are different brands. The cheaper ones are already exporting to Latin America and other Asian countries. The couple of really highend brands are close to European ones and can definitely compete in the North American market.

They're decent enough and cheap.

It's made to compete with european made car, feature very much up to par or better with the likes of volvo and vw. They also sold cheaper compared to the competition. Reliability though, i'm not so sure. I've tried a few of them from geely, they drive pretty great, but a PITA to fix.

It's more that American cars are that bad, or at least that they're that expensive. New cars keep getting more expensive as the oligarchy realizes that they can soak people on financing.

They are also getting more expensive to repair and mechanics are quitting dealerships in droves because they don't want to a) buy specialty tools to do b) repairs that are needlessly time consuming and c) happen way too frequently to e) be paid a fraction of the repair time.

So, yeah, if someone was selling cars as good as a 2000-era Honda at a 2000-era price, they'd destroy the American market.

I don't think "good" is the problem. China can pump them out and undercut the bloated costs that US companies charge, cutting into their bottom line. That's all they care about.

You wouldn't need protectionism to do any of that.