STOP China Act

Key Points

• The bill bans federal funds from being used to buy buses, trains, or other transit vehicles from companies based in, controlled by, or affiliated with China or other covered nations. It also blocks funding for charging or fueling infrastructure tied to those vehicles.
• The ban applies broadly to any entity headquartered in, incorporated in, owned by, or controlled by a covered nation or covered individual, including subsidiaries, affiliates, and joint ventures. This wide net is designed to prevent Chinese companies from sidestepping the rules through corporate restructuring.
• Within 30 days of enactment, the U.S. Trade Representative must publish a public list of banned companies. The list would be updated every 90 days for the first six months and annually after that.
• Congress argues that China deliberately creates overcapacity and sells products below market prices to dominate global markets, and that Chinese technology in U.S. transit systems poses national security risks.
• Existing contracts signed before the law takes effect can be completed. There are also narrow exceptions allowing the government to buy covered vehicles for safety inspections, investigations, and research.
• The bill is bipartisan, introduced by Rep. Crawford (R) and Rep. Khanna (D), and builds on earlier restrictions in the 2020 defense authorization law and the 2024 FAA reauthorization that already limited some Chinese transit purchases.