WASHINGTON — Ford on Friday dismissed criticism from the U.S. International Trade Commission more than its conclusion to go after battery contracts with SK Innovation.
The ITC mentioned the next-major U.S. automaker pursued new contracts even after proof experienced emerged that the South Korean electric car (EV) battery maker misappropriated trade secrets from cross-town rival LG Chem.
“Contrary to the ITC’s assumption, Ford was dedicated to a few additional battery systems tied to SK Innovation just before any misconduct experienced surfaced,” Ford claimed, including that “essential facts” would have emerged if the ITC “executed a general public interest listening to.”
The ITC did not straight away comment.
The ITC past month sided with LG Chem in its trade techniques claims, issuing a confined 10-calendar year exclusion get prohibiting imports of lithium-ion batteries made by SK Innovation (SK).
It permitted SK to import factors for domestic generation of batteries for Ford’s EV F-150 application for four yrs, and for Volkswagen’s MEB electric motor vehicle line for North The usa for two decades.
SK has warned the ITC final decision would power it to halt construction of a $2.6 billion battery plant in Ga if it is not overturned by President Joe Biden.
In a redacted impression launched on Thursday, the ITC questioned why Ford pursued battery contracts with SK Innovation soon after SK’s misconduct in this investigation experienced come to gentle.
It said Ford sought small business with SK even after a business worker was deposed in November 2019 in the commission’s investigation and when the automaker only had a deal with SK to offer batteries for the EV F-150.
“There is no clarification in the history why Ford would decide on to dismiss or excuse SK’s egregious misconduct,” the ITC explained.
“The fault listed here belongs with SK, as well as with these, like Ford, who deliberately chose to proceed to cultivate potential enterprise interactions predicated on SK’s trade mystery misappropriation.”
Ford said Friday it “does not condone the actions SK Innovation is accused of — significantly misappropriating trade strategies and destroying proof in the class of an investigation.”
LG Chem mentioned the ITC ruling observed SK misappropriated LG trade tricks truly worth billions of pounds spanning the overall electric powered auto battery enterprise.
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