Which is…not a shock? Japanese cars used to be jokes. And certainly, within my living memory, South Korean cars were regarded as abysmal little shitboxes—hence Kia’s 10-year warranty plan. But now those countries and corporate cultures produce fantastic cars, and compete at the highest levels. (Check out Genesis reviews, world-beating luxury cars from Hyundai.)
But I’m not sure if Chinese cars will make a significant dent in the US market. The US, both by regulatory standards and consumer expectations, puts a lot of demands on the content of cars. Very strong safety standards on the regulatory end, and expectations on mileage and features and lots and lots of cupholders in pseudo-SUVs that never ever go anywhere near offroad on the consumer end of things. By the time you get all the laws covered, and by the time you design and manufacture a car that meets customer demand, you have a vehicle that’s pricey to make, and then has to compete in a saturated market.
And that’s before any incipient trade wars.