BYD Sedan Spotted on California Streets — U.S. Policy Can't Stop Mexican Owners

A Reddit user recently posted that while waiting at a red light in Placentia, Orange County, California, they spotted a white BYD King sedan sitting at the intersection — wearing temporary tags and looking freshly delivered.

The poster was baffled: "I thought it was illegal to even own or drive one of these in the U.S. How is this possible?"

The top-voted reply in the comments was just one word: "Mexico."

As it turns out, there's a perfectly legal cross-border channel behind this. U.S. Customs rules allow non-residents to temporarily bring their foreign-registered vehicles into the country for personal use.

Under this "non-resident temporary vehicle importation" policy, Mexican owners can drive their cars into the U.S., typically for stays of up to 30 days.

Earlier reports have already shown Chinese-made EVs popping up on roads in California and Texas — all through this very provision.

BYD's presence in Mexico, meanwhile, is expanding rapidly. The brand now sells the Dolphin Mini, Dolphin, Seal, Yuan Plus (Atto 3), Han, and Tang there, with the Dolphin Mini ranking as Mexico's best-selling EV. The King seen in the photo above corresponds to the BYD Seal 05 DM-i sold in China.

For Chinese automakers, the U.S. market is walled off by tariffs. Chinese-made EVs entering the U.S. face a 27.5% duty (a 2.5% base tariff plus a 25% additional levy), and in May 2024 the Biden administration raised the tariff on Chinese EVs further, to 100%.

That means a BYD Qin Plus — priced under 80,000 yuan (about $11,400) in China — would see its cost double from tariffs alone if exported directly to the U.S. It's exactly why BYD has never officially entered the American passenger car market.

But policy can't stop Mexican owners. As long as the vehicle is legally registered in Mexico, its owner can simply drive it across the border.