Ford Motor Co (NYSE:F) drew sharp criticism on Tuesday from President Donald Trump‘s Transportation Secretary, Sean Duffy, who warned that the automaker’s work with several China-linked companies could create U.S. security risks.
Trump Admin Slams Ford
According to a report by Reuters on Tuesday, Duffy wrote a letter to Ford CEO Jim Farley, urging him to wind down the company’s battery and vehicle-related arrangements with Chinese firms like battery manufacturer CATL, Geely Automobile Holdings Ltd. (OTC:GELHY) (OTC:GELYF) and BYD Co. Ltd. (OTC: BYDDY) (OTC:BYDDF). Duffy told Farley that the department had "profound concern" about the arrangements.
Duffy also pointed to Ford’s plan to use licensed CATL technology at its Marshall, Michigan battery project and noted CATL’s placement on a Pentagon list tied to alleged links with China’s military, the report said. He wrote that the Transportation Department was "deeply alarmed" by that dependence.
The letter further faulted Ford’s timeline for shifting Lincoln Nautilus production out of China, arguing the current schedule would keep the company tied to Chinese manufacturing for years. Notably, the decision was hailed by Trump’s Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.
