Blacklisted Chinese Companies Rebrand as American to Dodge Crackdown

In December, a new company registered in Michigan: American Lidar. Its planned home would be an easy drive from the big three U.S. automakers.

The company behind American Lidar, and not mentioned in its registration, is China-based lidar maker Hesai Group, which the U.S. has labeled a security concern. It is a familiar playbook: A company facing regulatory or reputational problems sets up a subsidiary or affiliate with a different name.