WASHINGTON The head of a trade group representing nearly all major automakers urged the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to "ease up" on its aggressive proposal to sharply cut vehicle emissions through 2032, saying it could benefit China.

Alliance for Automotive Innovation CEO John Bozzella said Monday the "EPA should ease up and reassess this rule before it helps cement China’s place in the U.S. auto market." He predicted that if the EPA regulations are too tough, China will gain "a stronger foothold in America’s electric vehicle battery supply chain and eventually our automotive market."

(Reporting by David Shepardson; editing by Jonathan Oatis)