China has the car deals Americans want | Nolan Finley

I understand China's unfair trade practices, its use of subsidized — and sometimes enslaved — labor and willingness to take a loss to undermine a market give it tremendous advantages over the rest of the auto industry.

And I'm sensitive to concerns about safety and environmental shortcuts, the stealth installation of data-stealing technology in vehicles sold here and the damage that would be done to an industry that touches more than seven million U.S. jobs.

But I also know 75% of Americans say they can't afford to purchase a new car, and 60% of households consider the cost of the average used vehicle out of reach.

Cars are essential to life in most places in this country. Transportation is the second largest expense families face, behind housing. Affordability is the top issue on voters' minds.

A bipartisan effort is underway in Congress, led by Michigan Reps. Debbie Dingell, D-Ann Arbor, and John Moolenaar, R-Caledonia, and Michigan's Democratic Sen. Elissa Slotkin, to ban Chinese vehicle imports.

But automakers can rely on protectionism for only so long. Eventually, public demand will make the lure of inexpensive Chinese vehicles impossible to resist.

Walmart dominates the retail industry by offering low prices to customers who depend on it to make ends meet. Roughly 60% of the items it sells are made in China. For Amazon, 70% of its third-party sellers are pushing Chinese goods. Dollar Tree imports about 40% of its merchandise from China.

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These discount retailers help households cope with a cost-of-living that is outpacing income growth.

Just as they've done with clothing and electronics, buyers who are adorned from their shoes to their hoodies in Made in China-labeled products will flock to Chinese automobiles if they get the chance to substantially slash their transportation outlays.

Average U.S. vehicle prices top $50,000, up 30% from pre-pandemic window stickers. The average new-car payment is $767 per month over a nearly seven-year term. Chinese manufacturers sell 200 models priced under $25,000.

READ: Lifting restrictions on Chinese cars could devastate U.S. auto industry | Opinion

An eye-catching headline earlier this spring declared consumers could buy five Chinese electric vehicles for the price of one American-made EV.

Comfortably affording the average new car requires annual earnings in excess of $100,000. That's $10,000 more than the average household income. So, for the first time since the Model T era, middle-class consumers are no longer the target audience for new car sales.

Just as Japanese vehicles filled a void in the U.S. market 50 years ago, Chinese cars could answer the current demand.

While safety and emissions performance still lag, the quality of Chinese automobiles is rapidly rising. Bringing them up to U.S. requirements is not likely to fully erase the price advantage.

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Politicians who are hoping to ride on promises to address affordability won't be able to keep Chinese bargain buggies away from their constituents forever.

Automakers should use this period of protection from competition to seriously address bringing down the cost of their products. Fewer than 20 models priced under $30,000 are available in American dealerships.

The Detroit Three have all but abandoned sedans, compacts and subcompacts in favor of profit-rich trucks and SUVs, but there's still a demand for those smaller, cheaper options that China is better prepared to meet.

Much is made of Chinese government subsidies, and rightfully so, but not enough is said about the impact on the domestic market of federal regulations, which can add up to 20% to a vehicle's sticker price.

Washington and Detroit must work together to drive down costs and pass on the savings to consumers.

If they fail, they shouldn't be surprised if Wal-Mart adds a Geely aisle to its Supercenters.