Ford’s Alarming Ties to Chinese State-Backed Firms Draw Scrutiny from U.S. Transportation Secretary
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Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has sounded the alarm over Ford’s deepening connections with Chinese companies, raising concerns about national security and the erosion of American industry. Ford insists its U.S. operations remain American-owned, but the controversy exposes the risks of foreign influence in critical sectors.
The U.S. Department of Transportation, under the leadership of Secretary Sean Duffy, sent a stern letter to Ford Motor Co. on Tuesday, warning that the company’s recent strategic moves paint “a troubling picture of a foundational American brand actively intertwining its future with Chinese state-backed enterprises.” Duffy’s warning comes as Ford leverages technology from Chinese battery maker CATL at its BlueOval Battery Park in Marshall, Michigan, and is alleged to have proposed a framework at the Detroit Auto Show that would allow Chinese joint ventures to operate on American soil.
Ford, attempting to downplay the gravity of these concerns, claimed that its arrangement with CATL is merely a limited technology-licensing and services agreement, not a joint venture, and asserted that the Michigan plant is wholly owned and operated by Ford, employing about 1,700 American workers. The automaker also denied that it had proposed any joint-venture framework, insisting that no such proposal was made.
This exchange comes at a time when the U.S. government is under increasing pressure to safeguard domestic production, with recent tariffs even affecting Canadian vehicles in an effort to protect American jobs. Analysts warn that Chinese carmakers, already dominating global production, could soon flood U.S. showrooms, threatening the future of American manufacturing. Ford’s statement, meanwhile, criticized Secretary Duffy for going public instead of seeking direct communication, but this does little to address the legitimate concerns about foreign influence in critical American industries.
“Secretary Duffy’s letter is a wrongheaded attempt to capture headlines at the expense of a company that has done more for American manufacturing than virtually any other in the nation’s history,” Ford responded.
“Had Secretary Duffy reached out before issuing his letter to the press, we would have been happy to share more details about Ford’s U.S. commitment,” the company added.