More States Are Banning Legally Imported Cars and Nobody Will Say Why

I suspect the answer to why they are doing this is relatively banal:

The industry wants to keep control of the flow of vehicles via its bought and paid for lobbying arms.

Every imported Integra Type-R is a possible BRZ not sold. Every Kei truck is a possible… I actually don’t know WHAT they expect to sell those people, but I’m sure it’s something.

The emissions are a legitimate argument; even in California there is a process if you REALLY want a 25 year old vehicle. It costs $10-20k but is on the books. Heck, you can even have the car tuned into a monster before undertaking the process and then that’s it’s authorized form!

The FMVSS stuff is a different story and MUCH harder to sidestep, which is probably why industry funds are now pushing that way.

The answer is very simple. They do not want technology from other countries that would benefit this one to gain a foothold. It has NOTHING to do with safety. It's all about restricting technology from one region to another. For instance, at the beginning of the scamdemic an online radio stream out of HI (all of them) stopped working. The reason? They for no reason at all started fencing off the internet based on region alone, and that was for narrative control. IE, population control. But then again, if one isn't already aware of the ridiculous restrictions there are in our so called Land of the Free, you aren't paying attention. A friendly reminder from your handlers in the oil industry.

I have to wonder if maybe this is some kind of protectionism to prevent U.S. consumers from questioning the Chicken Tax and the "bigger is better" marketing of trucks.

From a safety and emissions standpoint, these trucks obviously aren't up to par. But it can't be worse than driving a motorcycle, which is usually 50-state legal even with little emissions or safety equipment. And just like motorcycles, these kei trucks pose little danger to other vehicles on the roadway, except perhaps for their low acceleration and top speed.