Michigan’s two Chinese sister provinces, Sichuan and Guangdong, are the result of the state’s earlier investment to develop ties with the Chinese automotive industry, the historical bedrock of the Michigan-China business relationship. GM and Ford, headquartered in Michigan, have been very successful in China, and Chinese automotive suppliers have likewise found success in Michigan. However, 2022 saw a significant -31% decline in motor vehicle parts exports, dropping from $747 million to $510 million. This decrease is attributed to supply chain challenges and ongoing trade tensions. Gotion Inc., a U.S. subsidiary of Hefei Gotion High-Tech Power Energy Co., Ltd, is planning a $2.4 billion electric vehicle battery factory in Green Charter Township, sparking community protests over perceived ties to the Chinese government. While initially hailed as a victory by Governor Whitmer, protests resulted in the project’s suspension. Ford Motor has scaled back its initial electric vehicle-focused $3.5 billion project called BlueOval Battery Park Michigan, for which the company plans to collaborate with China-based Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Ltd (CATL). Many universities in Michigan have exchange programs with their peers in China. Among them, the University of Michigan holds great historical importance in U.S.-China relations. It welcomed its first Chinese students in 1892 and has educated generations of leaders in the U.S.-China Relations space. It was also the first stop on the 9-city tour of the Chinese Ping-Pong team in 1972, in a series of events that later became known as “Ping-Pong Diplomacy”, for which a 50th anniversary celebration was held at the University of Michigan in 2022.

 2022 saw a significant -31% decline in motor vehicle parts exports, dropping from $747 million to $510 million. This decrease is attributed to supply chain challenges and ongoing trade tensions

Michigan’s diverse agricultural exports to China were hit during the trade war including products like dairy, apples, and cherries. Broad global tariffs on steel during the trade war impacted steel consumers like Michigan’s auto industry–all three Detroit automakers, General Motors, Ford, and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV closed a plant between January 2018 and 2020. Such difficulties were further exacerbated by constrained trade with China and heavy Chinese tariffs on U.S. autos; in 2018, China accounted for 44% of General Motors’s total vehicle sales which declined during the trade war; Ford similarly reported heavy losses in exporting of autos to China such as declining purchasing of Lincoln vehicles which has been a popular brand. To illustrate, the U.S. exported 163,618 vehicles to China in 2018, down from the high in 2014 of 314,580.

Michigan’s two Chinese sister provinces, Sichuan and Guangdong, are the result of the state’s earlier investment to develop ties with the Chinese automotive industry, the historical bedrock of the Michigan-China business relationship. GM and Ford, headquartered in Michigan, have been very successful in China, and Chinese automotive suppliers have likewise found success in Michigan.

Michigan-based General Motors announced in March 2022 the creation of a new China-based premium import business focused on “iconic vehicles” from the U.S. This unique export line is expected to supplement the 2.9 million vehicles GM sold in China in 2021 which are generally manufactured through localized production. Chinese battery maker Gotion High-Tech Co. will build its first major American factory in Michigan. In September 2022, Chinese-owned Nexteer Automotive Corp received a $25 million COVID-19 relief fund to keep 1,110 jobs in Saginaw, Michigan, with hopes that the plant will expand into electric vehicle production. Ambassador Qin Gang was in attendance at Detroit’s Auto Show–which had a particular focus on the future of electric vehicles–and spoke of the entwined interests of the two nations in the industry, with several Chinese companies participating. In August 2022, the Detroit Chinese Engineers Association along with China Science and Technology Exchange Center and the School of Vehicle and Mobility of Tsinghua University hosted “China-U.S. Energy Bridge 2022” themed around Electric Vehicles and Smart Grid with experts from both countries to exchange ideas, connect and report the latest advancements in green energy vehicles. In 2022, The USA Table Tennis Ping Pong Diplomacy Team Championships Tour celebrated the 50^th anniversary of Richard Nixon’s memorable visit to China in 1972.

Gotion Inc., a U.S. subsidiary of Hefei Gotion High-Tech Power Energy Co., Ltd, is planning a $2.4 billion electric vehicle battery factory in Green Charter Township, sparking community protests over perceived ties to the Chinese government. While initially hailed as a victory by Governor Whitmer, protests resulted in the project’s suspension. Ford Motor has scaled back its initial electric vehicle-focused $3.5 billion project called BlueOval Battery Park Michigan, for which the company plans to collaborate with China-based Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Ltd (CATL).

Many universities in Michigan have exchange programs with their peers in China. Among them, the University of Michigan holds great historical importance in U.S.-China relations. It welcomed its first Chinese students in 1892 and has educated generations of leaders in the U.S.-China Relations space. It was also the first stop on the 9-city tour of the Chinese Ping-Pong team in 1972, in a series of events that later became known as “Ping-Pong Diplomacy”, for which a 50th anniversary celebration was held at the University of Michigan in 2022.

This data and content is updated periodically. The most recent update was January 2024.