2 Republicans call on Pentagon to put Chinese battery maker CATL on the blacklist
Two leading Republican lawmakers on Wednesday called on the U.S. Department of Defense to add Chinese battery maker CATL to a blocked list of companies accused of collaborating with Beijing’s military.
Companies on the list cannot receive U.S. military contracts and inclusion on the list poses significant reputational risks, experts say.
Senator Marco Rubio, vice chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, and Congressman John Moolenaar, chairman of the House Select Committee on China, called on Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to immediately add CATL – formerly known as China’s Contemporary Amperex Technology Co – to the list, arguing that “it would also send a strong signal to U.S. companies currently considering partnering with CATL.”
CATL said its battery products have helped millions of Americans during power outages and are passive products “that pose no greater threat to national security than a brick.” The company said the lawmakers’ letter “contains allegations that are factually inaccurate and completely without merit,” adding CATL “is not controlled by the Chinese government.”
The Pentagon did not immediately comment.
In February, under political pressure, US energy supplier Duke Energy announced that it would decommission the energy storage batteries produced by CATL at one of the country’s largest naval bases and gradually phase out CATL’s products in its civilian projects.
Lawmakers pointed out that Ford Motor is building a battery plant in Michigan and plans to license CATL technology to produce low-cost lithium-iron batteries at the plant. Lawmakers like Rubio have raised serious concerns about the plan.
In February, the Defense Department added more than a dozen Chinese companies to the list as part of a broader effort to prevent American technology from helping China.
The companies added in February include memory chip maker YMTC, artificial intelligence company Megvii, lidar maker Hesai Technology and technology firm NetPosa. They joined previously listed aerospace company AVIC, BGI Genomics Co, Chinese energy company CNOOC and China Railway Construction Corp.
