U.S. Lawmakers Call for CATL to be Added to Restricted List

By David Shepardson
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Two top Republican lawmakers on Wednesday requested the U.S. Defense Department to add Chinese battery maker CATL to a restricted list of companies allegedly collaborating with Beijing’s military.

Companies listed cannot receive U.S. military contracts, and being placed on the list poses significant reputational risks, according to experts.

Senator Marco Rubio, Vice Chair of the Intelligence Committee, and Representative John Moolenaar, Chair of the House Select Committee on China, urged Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to immediately include CATL — formally known as Contemporary Amperex Technology Co — on the list. They stated it would also send a strong message to U.S. companies considering partnerships with CATL.

CATL responded, stating that its battery products have benefited millions of Americans during power outages and described them as passive, asserting they pose no more risk to national security than a brick. The company referred to the lawmakers’ accusations as “factually inaccurate and completely groundless,” and emphasized that it is not controlled by the Chinese government.

The Pentagon did not immediately provide a comment.

The lawmakers pointed out that CATL has extensive ties to the Chinese Communist Party and its military, arguing that reliance on CATL batteries endangers U.S. national security by creating dependency on the CCP for energy infrastructure.

In February, under pressure from lawmakers, U.S. utility company Duke Energy announced plans to decommission energy-storage batteries produced by CATL at one of the largest Marine Corps bases and to phase out CATL products from its civilian projects.

Additionally, the lawmakers mentioned that Ford Motor Company is constructing a battery plant in Michigan and intends to license CATL technology to produce low-cost lithium-iron batteries at that facility. Lawmakers such as Rubio have expressed serious concerns regarding this plan.

Earlier in February, the Defense Department added over a dozen Chinese companies to the restricted list as part of efforts to prevent American technology from assisting China.

Companies added included memory chip maker YMTC, artificial intelligence company Megvii, lidar maker Hesai Technology, and tech company NetPosa. These joined previously listed entities like aviation company AVIC, BGI Genomics Co, China Mobile, energy company CNOOC, and China Railway Construction Corp.