U.S. Transportation Secretary raises concerns over Ford's partnerships with Chinese firms

The U.S. Department of Transportation sent a letter to Ford CEO Jim Farley expressing concern about the automaker’s relationships with Chinese firms, including battery supplier Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. (CATL). The letter said the partnerships could affect American automotive manufacturing integrity, supply-chain exposure and reliance on technologies from foreign adversaries.

Ford responded that the correspondence was a "wrongheaded attempt to capture headlines" and highlighted its status as the nation’s top-producing automaker, noting it employs more hourly workers in the United States than any other carmaker. The company also said the letter contained factual errors, such as the claim that Farley had proposed a joint-venture framework for Chinese automakers to operate on U.S. soil.

The dispute follows earlier criticism of Ford’s 2023 licensing agreement with CATL for lithium-iron-phosphate battery technology, which the company plans to use in energy-storage systems. The transportation secretary’s remarks reflect broader tensions between the Trump administration and the U.S. auto industry over trade and regulatory policies.