Ford CEO Jim Farley said at an Automotive News conference yesterday, according to a Reuters report, that the US must “be extremely careful around how the Chinese OEMs come to our country” and that for European countries, “it’s too late”.
The 64-year old, who’s said good things about Chinese cars in the past, including a Xiaomi SU7 which he daily-drove for half a year, said Ford will partner with Chinese companies when the situation is capital-efficient and where Ford lacks expertise. “We’re also going to compete with them directly. They aren’t mutually exclusive,” he said.
US transportation secretary Sean Duffy urged Farley in a letter earlier this month to sever ties with CATL, Geely and BYD, saying the Blue Oval’s dealings with Chinese companies were “troubling” and raised “profound concern”.
The letter added that the transportation department was “deeply alarmed” by Ford’s reliance on licensed technology from CATL at its Marshall, Michigan plant, and that CATL is on the Pentagon’s list of companies accused of ties to China’s military.
Duffy also said the decision to move Lincoln Nautilus production from China to the US only by 2030 leaves Ford reliant on Chinese manufacturing for several more years.
Less than 24 hours after the letter, the Republican-controlled house select committee on China posted on X that Ford has by turns warned of the threat Chinese companies pose to the US and yet is partnering with some of them. “This is what Ford says vs. what it does,” the post read.
Republicans were quick to chime in, with senator Rick Scott praising Duffy for “sounding the alarm about Ford’s risky ties to (Chinese Communist Party) companies” and representative John Moolenaar, the China committee chair, commending Duffy “for calling out Ford’s growing reliance on Chinese companies, including CATL and Geely.” Moolenaar added that “Ford should work with our nation’s allies, not our adversaries.”
Contradictorily, on X the same day, the White House called Ford a “great American company” that had invested in US production, and commerce secretary Howard Lutnick just weeks ago lauded some of the very moves Duffy panned in his letter.
Ford responded in a statement that Duffy’s letter was “a wrongheaded attempt to capture headlines”, adding that “while others continue to import Chinese batteries, Ford is investing to build batteries here in America” and that “Ford owns the plant, controls the operation and employs the workforce.”
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When ure aware of the issues but yet need to be politically correct
What’s these nonsense of warnings, heads-up? These behaviours ain’t the free-trade spirit U westerners are promoting. Or is it free up all barriers for you to trade only?
LMAO western scoundrels trying to spread FUD. There are taxis running on BYD batteries for example that have gone well past the usable life of the battery packs and still holding north of 80% SoH.
Protecting jobs is an excuse to just rip customers off with higher prices.
Once the CATL Naxtra sodium batteries coming into the market its over for these jap thieves plus the rest of the European dung-balls living on outdated costly NMC packs that you cant even charge upto 100% regularly.
Funny how some company or politician react when talking about China automotive ‘attack’ on their home country.
Its all negavite, Chinese company will do this and that. Must protect existing eco system etc.
What they dont want to admit or realize is that they are slowly becoming just an assembly factory, kinda like or own Proton and Perodua. At most, they will become body designer only.
China dont really bother if u dont buy their cars in numbers. They are slowly taking over the supply chain. Dismantle a US car and find out where the expensive parts (eg modules) are made in. No doubt right now they are just making it for known brand such as Mopar or Bosch. If they decided its worth it, they will push on. Remember, they once just assemble Tesla…few years down the road….its full on assault on EV.
The western need to looking into thier wawasan how far/how closed to the Paris Agreement 2015 regarding climate change