I don't disagree with you that it's unfair, but from the perspective of a country without an industry to lose, they have everything to gain from a race to the bottom.
How does a rich, car-exporting country convince a less rich and car-importing country to not buy that inexpensive car from China and instead buy a more expensive one? Tariffs can't address this issue.
I don't think it matters. As long as the US has a strong base of car companies serving its own market. It needs this manufacturing capability to lean on during a large scale conflict.
Imagine how much better off Ukraine would be if it had had car factories it could have turned into tank factories.
That's orthogonal to the issue I'm referencing, which is that legacy automakers sell their wares domestically and internationally. Even with tariffs, they'll still be squeezed out in markets which don't have a car industry to protect.
