Please President Xi

I recently spent some time in Panama which is the first place I have been with deep Chinese brand car market penetration.

and... they looked pretty sick. well-styled, nice inside, massively less expensive than their US/EU/JP competitors.

I don't know what the market looked like before. But in Colombia (barely any Chinese cars yet) you see the market dominated by Renault-branded Dacias and low-end Korean-made Chevys and there was basically none of that in Panama. Part of that is that car-buying Panamanians have more money in general and the market floor is higher. But it also seems like the people who might have bought Dusters are all buying Forthings and Jetours instead. Because they're nicer and higher-tech inside for less money.

Colombia actually makes those Renault-branded Dacia models locally so a similar market shift here will have... interesting consequences.

inshallah

also clickable link: www.cnn.com/2026/02/15/business/chinese-automakers-eye-us-move