Overview
- The Department of Transportation publicly released a letter on Tuesday that told Ford CEO Jim Farley the company’s deals with CATL, Geely and talks with BYD raise “profound concern” and urged Ford to cut or rework those ties.
- DOT singled out Ford’s BlueOval Battery Park in Marshall, Michigan for using CATL‑licensed battery technology, noting CATL is on a Pentagon list of firms accused of ties to China’s military.
- Ford immediately disputed the letter’s claims, saying the Marshall plant is Ford‑owned and operated, describing the CATL link as a limited technology‑licensing and services agreement, and calling the letter a “wrongheaded attempt to capture headlines.”
- The public rebuke intensified scrutiny from Republican lawmakers and a House China committee while the White House offered more positive language about Ford’s U.S. investments, leaving mixed signals inside the administration.
- The exchange adds pressure to bipartisan congressional efforts to restrict Chinese vehicle technology and creates a credible risk of regulatory or legislative action that could force automakers to change supply‑chain arrangements.