Chairman John Moolenaar, Chairman Mark Green, and Representative Carlos Gimenez have issued a statement regarding the Department of Homeland Security's recent decision to add new Chinese companies to its forced labor entity list. These companies are linked to CATL and Gotion, both affiliated with the Chinese Communist Party and involved in electric vehicle battery production. The two companies have plans for new facilities in the United States, partially funded by federal and state taxpayer money.
The statement from Moolenaar, Green, and Gimenez expresses concern over the supply chains of CATL and Gotion being connected to the Xinjiang region. They urge American companies to sever ties with these firms and focus on building a supply chain free from forced labor. "While we are pleased with this initial step, we remain concerned that CATL and Gotion’s supply chains are deeply tied to the Xinjiang region," they stated. They also call for reversing Biden-Harris Administration rules that allow taxpayer dollars to subsidize Chinese batteries associated with slave labor.
The representatives emphasize the need for their bipartisan legislation, the Decoupling from Foreign Adversarial Battery Dependency Act. This act aims not only to eliminate forced labor from U.S. supply chains but also to reduce dependency on China.
Previously, on June 5, 2024, committees led by Moolenaar and Green along with Senator Marco Rubio revealed connections between CATL, Gotion, and two companies involved in forced labor—Xinjiang Nonferrous and Xinjiang Joinworld. As of today, these two companies have been added to DHS's forced labor entity list. This addition prohibits importing products from these companies or any tied to their supply chains.
