Transportation

China Auto Tech Suppliers Say Trade Barriers Won’t Stop Growth

  • Hesai, Ecarx see push for smarter, safer cars winning out
  • Global auto supply chain faces growing tariffs in Trump Era
Cameras and Lidar sensors mounted to a demonstration model of BYD’s Yangwang U8 vehicle in Shenzhen, China, in 2024.Photographer: Qilai Shen/Bloomberg
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The push to make cars safer and smarter by employing cutting-edge technology is a more powerful force than rising tariffs and growing political uncertainty pose to global trade, according to the heads of two Chinese auto-tech companies.

The shares of Lidar maker Hesai Technology Co. surged 50% in the US Tuesday after the company said it broke evenBloomberg Terminal for the first time in 2024, and had won a “groundbreaking, exclusive design” deal with a top European automaker, which Reuters later reported was Mercedes-Benz AG. Ecarx Holdings Inc., which provides digital cabin equipment like infotainment units and software operating systems, is also confident of winning more customers.