Is Tesla At Risk From Marco Rubio’s Push to ‘Blacklist’ Chinese Battery Firm CATL?

US Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) and US Representative John Moolenaar (R-MI) penned a letter to US Department of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to “immediately place” Chinese battery giant Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited (CATL) on Section 1260H List (blacklist) of the National Defense Authorization Act. 

The GOP lawmakers wrote in a press release that the Chinese battery manufacturer and technology company has “deep ties to the Chinese Communist Party and its armed wing, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA). ” 

“Reliance on, and use of, CATL batteries threatens US national security as it makes our nation dependent on Communist China for energy infrastructure,” they said, adding the DoD understands “the threat CATL poses to our nation” yet DoD has done nothing to place CATL on the “1260H list, which exposes Chinese entities operating in the US.” 

A statement from Rubio: 

“US 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 US companies who are currently weighing partnerships with CATL.”

CATL battery company has deep ties to Communist China. Our country shouldn’t install these batteries anywhere in our nation because of the national security threat it poses.

With @RepMoolenaar, urged @DeptofDefense to blacklist CATL.https://t.co/FE1XuHmFQu

— Senator Marco Rubio (@SenMarcoRubio) August 28, 2024

A Bloomberg supply chain analysis reveals that CATL’s top customers include Tesla, Stellantis, Geely, Nio, Volkswagen, Nissan, Honda, and Volvo.

Digging deeper into CATL’s complex global supply chain, risk management technology firm Sayari Labs shows the Chinese company’s top buyers over the last 12 months. 

One major red flag is that Tesla received 376 shipments from the Chinese firm over the past 12 months, accounting for approximately 8.63% of all shipments.

About half of CATL’s shipments over the last 12 months have ended up in the US, and about 27.5% have ended up in Germany. 

As of July 29, CATL’s US shipments included lithium-ion batteries to several buyers, including Geodis and Mercedes, Benz Vans. 

As of the latest trade data, CATL’s shipments primarily include storage batteries (54.7%) and primary cells and batteries (41.47%). 

Let’s take a step back because data from Sayari shows that CATL’s supply chain has several risk factors, including forced labor concerns. 

The lingering question is whether Rubio’s push to blacklist CATL over its “deep ties to Communist China” will gain traction with the DoD. What will that mean for Tesla’s battery supply chain and its reliance on CATL if DoD blacklists CATL? It should be known that Tesla works with other battery makers, including Panasonic.