Geely Wants to Come to the U.S., Says Market 'Should Be Open and Equal'

Chinese auto giant Geely says U.S. entry remains a possibility, but only if tariffs and the political environment shifts

written by Tom Baker
edited by Steven Ewing
4/27/2026
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What's new: Geely says it will make a decision about launching in the U.S. within three years, by 2029.
Why it matters: Strict U.S. tariffs on Chinese EVs, connected car rules and opposition from U.S. automakers remain major barriers to Geely's entry.
Edmunds says: Our experience with Geely cars — like the Galaxy M9 — proves these products could have a viable future in the States.

— Beijing, China

Geely is not yet ready to sell cars in the U.S., but the Chinese auto giant has now clarified the key conditions for its entry into the American market while reaffirming it is in the process of making its final decision by 2029. Speaking with Edmunds at an event in Beijing, Geely Holding Group executive vice president Victor Yang said the company has no short-term U.S. entry plan but acknowledged that a decision window has been discussed following strong American interest in Geely products shown at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show.

“At CES, we showed the latest car, the 9X, and people loved it a lot,” Yang said.

Read more about Edmunds' firsthand experience with Chinese cars:

“A lot of people asked [us] when we will bring in this product. My colleague said that we will look at the possibility and then make a decision in three years' time, but no decision [has yet been made],” he confirmed. The company will embark on a two- to three-year process to examine how to overcome complex data compliance requirements while looking into North American auto production possibilities.

Geely is already present in the U.S. in a limited sense. Yang confirmed the company is supplying the next base vehicle for Waymo's robotaxi fleet, calling that program "more like a B2B [and not] a B2C" operation. Geely also has indirect manufacturing exposure through Volvo's Ridgeville, South Carolina, plant, which builds the Volvo EX90 and Polestar 3. Volvo and Polestar are part of the larger Geely conglomerate.

The complications for Geely's U.S. entry

To commit to a more significant U.S. market launch with Chinese-market brands like Zeekr and Lynk & Co., Yang said "the market should be open." Asked specifically whether that meant different tariff treatment for Geely's vehicles, Yang added that Geely wants an "open and equal environment" in which to compete.

Geely is currently preparing for President Trump's planned visit to Beijing next month, with the U.S.' strict tariff policy targeting Chinese vehicles set to be high on the agenda.

“Everybody hopes that we have good news for the [Chinese] car industry," Yang said.

The U.S. has also finalized regulations aimed at slowing Chinese and Russian in-car technology, with software prohibitions beginning with 2027 model-year vehicles and hardware restrictions coming into force by 2030. These rules hit China's automakers in two ways. Stacked tariffs make Chinese-built EVs commercially unviable, while connectivity rules complicate U.S.-made models if their software or automated driving hardware is deemed to have links to China. If the current restrictions persist, Geely's developing U.S. strategy could require a combination of local assembly, specific software stacks and connectivity features, and non-Chinese component and battery sourcing.

In any case, there is no guarantee that U.S. automakers would welcome the competition. Ford CEO Jim Farley has suggested that allowing Chinese vehicles into the U.S. market could be "devastating" for American manufacturing, arguing that China has sufficient capacity to cover the entire U.S. market and raising cybersecurity concerns.

American consumer awareness of Chinese cars is growing

Social media is accelerating American curiosity of Chinese cars. Brands like BYD, Xiaomi and Zeekr are regularly appearing in U.S.-facing TikTok and YouTube content with high-tech vehicles framed as forbidden fruit. These marketing efforts have included importing a range of models appropriate to the U.S. market, including the Geely Galaxy M9 plug-in hybrid that the Edmunds team recently tested, which impressed us with its quality, tech suite, on-road driving manners, and prodigious power and electric-only range.

There is a wide range of midsize and large crossovers across the Geely, Zeekr, and Lynk & Co brands that could appeal to American consumers. The Zeekr 7X, a rival to the Tesla Model Y and BMW iX3, has received a favorable reception in European and Asian markets, while the recently announced 8X plug-in hybrid produces up to 1,400 horsepower in tri-motor guise.

Geely's global design chief, Stefan Sielaff, told us that the company's ambition is to create global products, not China-only vehicles. Sielaff said that Chinese cars have become "more mature and more self-confident," with upmarket brand Zeekr focused on producing luxury vehicles with global aesthetic appeal.

by Tom Baker

Tom Baker is a Europe-based automotive journalist with more than a decade of experience road testing and analyzing new vehicles. Originally from Australia, he now works as a foreign correspondent covering international first drives, motor shows and executive interviews from the heart of the global car industry. Tom combines a background in rigorous, real-world road testing with a strong interest in the business of the automotive industry, covering everything from platform strategy and electrification to market positioning and profitability.

edited by Steven Ewing

Steven Ewing is Edmunds' director of editorial content. An automotive journalist for more than half of his life, Ewing's been on staff at Winding Road magazine, Autoblog, Motor1.com, CNET, and he was the U.S. correspondent for Top Gear magazine. He's also contributed to publications like Automobile magazine, Car and Driver, The Drive, Jalopnik, Porsche Panorama, and more. Ewing has worked in the automotive industry since 2003. From testing prototype cars in the Arctic Circle to spilling a beer on a Formula 1 driver at the 24 Hours of Le Mans (oops), he's always got an interesting story to tell.

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