Letter to DoD Requesting Blacklisting of CCP-Linked Battery Company, CATL

Chairman John Moolenaar (R-MI) of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party and U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) sent a letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin requesting that the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) immediately place Contemporary Amperex Technology Limited (CATL) on the Section 1260H list, which exposes Chinese entities operating in the U.S. that have ties to the People's Liberation Army (PLA) or contribute to the Chinese Communist Party’s Military-Civil Fusion Strategy.

CATL is an electric vehicle battery company with deep ties to the Chinese Communist Party and its armed wing, the PLA. It is a key contributor to the PRC’s military-civil fusion policy to enhance the capabilities of China’s military. Reliance on CATL batteries endangers U.S. national security by making us dependent on the CCP for energy infrastructure and supporting a company that backs military systems that could target American troops in future conflicts.

The DoD has acknowledged the threat CATL poses to our nation. Despite this, the DoD has yet to place CATL on the 1260H list. The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024 prohibits the DoD from contracting with entities on the 1260H List, and also with CATL.

The lawmakers write, “U.S. policymakers have a duty to stand in resolute opposition to any effort by America’s adversaries that threaten our national and economic security. By including CATL on the Section 1260H List, the DoD would not only safeguard America’s military infrastructure from exposure to the PLA, it would also send a powerful signal to U.S. companies who are currently weighing partnerships with CATL.”

Background:

In December, Select Committee members and Senator Rubio led a bipartisan, bicameral letter opposing the use of CATL batteries at Camp Lejeune. Following the letter, the DoD removed CATL batteries from Camp Lejeune. Then in June, Moolenaar and Rubio uncovered shocking new evidence of slave labor links at CATL and another CCP-linked battery company, Gotion. 

View the lawmakers' letter to Defense Secretary Austin HERE.