U.S. President Donald Trump and Ford CEO Jim Farley applaud as President Trump visits Ford’s production center in Dearborn, Michigan, on January 13, 2026.
Evelyn HochsteinReuter
The Trump administration on Tuesday expressed “deep concern” about this. ford motorThe company believes that its relationship with the Chinese company could have a negative impact on the Detroit automaker and the U.S. auto industry.
In a letter to Ford CEO Jim Farley, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy questioned Ford’s strategic trajectory with the Chinese company “as it concerns the integrity of our nation’s auto manufacturing, our supply chain exposure, and our dependence on foreign adversary technology.”
The letter criticized Ford, which regularly touts its position as the top auto producer in the United States, calling it a “misguided attempt to grab headlines.”
The letter also cited “factual errors,” but defended its position as America’s largest automaker, saying it employs more hourly workers than any other automaker in the country. Ford said those errors included comments by Duffy about Farley proposing a joint venture framework for Chinese automakers to enter the United States.
The letter is the latest in a series of discussions between the U.S. auto industry and the Trump administration, which has created uncertainty over trade and changes to federal rules and regulations.
In his letter, Mr. Duffy took issue with Ford’s relationships with Chinese companies, including battery supplier CATL, and the framework Mr. Farley proposed at an auto show in Detroit earlier this year “to facilitate Chinese joint ventures in the continental United States.”
Ford has a license agreement to use battery technology from Contemporary Amperex Technology, Inc. (CATL), including the production of lithium iron phosphate batteries.
Ford’s deal with CATL was originally announced in 2023, but has come back to the spotlight amid tensions between the U.S. and China and Ford’s plans to use battery technology in energy storage systems.
“While DOT recognizes the intense competitive pressures of the global marketplace, the company’s recent strategic decisions highlight the alarming situation in which a foundational American brand is actively tying its future to a Chinese state-backed company,” Duffy’s letter said.
On February 13, 2023, at the automaker’s Battery Lab in suburban Detroit, Ford CEO Jim Farley announced that the state will build a new $3.5 billion electric vehicle battery factory to produce lithium iron phosphate batteries.
Michael Weiland/CNBC
Duffy urged Farley, who has praised Chinese competitors and the Trump administration’s efforts to promote U.S. manufacturing, to “consider these concerns and national needs and adopt a rational strategy that prioritizes American workers, leverages our allies’ supply chains, and promotes the independence and integrity of our domestic auto industry.”
Ford urged Duffy to communicate more openly with the company.
“Ford supports the Trump Administration’s vision to advance American innovation and manufacturing,” the company said. “Had Secretary Duffy contacted the press prior to issuing his letter, we would have been happy to share more details about Ford’s commitment to the United States.”
—CNBC’s Meghan Reeder and Phil LeBeau contributed to this report.
