Duffy flags CATL license, Geely venture, Lincoln production
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy wrote to Ford Chief Executive Jim Farley in a letter criticizing three specific arrangements Ford Motor has with Chinese automotive firms: a license of battery technology from CATL, a recently announced joint venture with the Chinese automaker Geely in Europe, and the manufacturing of Lincoln vehicles in China for the U.S. market.
Duffy called the Lincoln arrangement “unacceptable.”
The letter, dated last Thursday, was made public by the Transportation Department on Tuesday.
In the letter, Duffy wrote that “while DOT recognizes the intense competitive pressures of the global market, the company’s recent strategic decisions paint a troubling picture of a foundational American brand actively intertwining its future with Chinese state-backed enterprises.”
Duffy also wrote that Ford’s “reliance on technologies of foreign adversaries” isn’t sustainable for America.
The letter follows criticism from members of both parties in Congress over Ford’s ongoing business deals with Chinese firms.
Ford didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.