Trump Administration Labels Ford's Chinese Tech Ties Unacceptable in Public Letter to CEO Jim Farley

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy sent a public letter to Ford CEO Jim Farley on September 8, expressing "deep alarm" over the automaker's business relationships with Chinese companies and calling the use of Chinese technology "unacceptable." The letter specifically cited Ford's battery supply arrangement with CATL and a joint venture with Chinese automaker Geely in Spain, with the Department of Transportation warning that the Geely partnership could give China a strategic foothold in Western Europe.

The Trump administration framed the concerns around national security, saying Ford's reliance on Chinese firms poses serious risks. The public and pointed nature of the letter, addressed directly to Farley rather than issued through routine regulatory channels, signals an unusually direct political confrontation with one of America's largest automakers.

Separately, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened a formal investigation into engine power loss issues affecting nearly 500,000 Ford Edge vehicles, adding regulatory pressure on a second front. Also on September 8, Ford presented at the Goldman Sachs Communacopia and Technology Conference, where Mike Aragon, the company's president of integrated services, outlined Ford's strategy to grow digital revenue through BlueCruise, artificial intelligence, and the Ford Pro commercial division, emphasizing a connected ecosystem spanning vehicle hardware, software, mobile apps, and dealer services.