Sean Duffy Says Cut Ties With China, Ford Pushes Back

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy demanded Ford sever ties with CATL, Geely, and BYD over national security concerns.

Ford's BlueOval Battery Park Michigan builds lithium-iron phosphate batteries under a licensing deal with CATL.

Ford and Geely plan a Valencia, Spain plant to build low- and zero-emission vehicles beginning in 2027.

Ford Motor Company is now caught between two branches of the same administration. US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy sent CEO Jim Farley a letter demanding the automaker cut ties with Chinese battery maker CATL, along with automakers Geely and BYD, citing national security concerns.

Ford did not take the hit quietly. The company called Duffy's letter "wrongheaded" and argued that its Michigan battery plant is proof of the domestic manufacturing push Washington says it wants.