Chinese automakers have captured roughly one-third of Korea's EV market and dominate global production, selling vehicles at a fraction of US prices — with Chinese EVs under $7,000 compared to the US average new car price of $51,000. The 100% US tariff wall is explicitly designed to block this competition, reflecting real pressure on American manufacturers who cannot compete on price. Hayes frames this as negative for US automakers, which is accurate given the scale of the price gap and China's demonstrated ability to penetrate other developed markets.