According to Official Ammount @chuneng365, on March 10 (local time), the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed two bills related to China. One bill aims to restrict the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from purchasing batteries made by Chinese companies, while the other establishes a task force within DHS to monitor and respond to so-called “national security threats from China.” Both bills will now proceed to the Senate for review.
On Monday (March 10), the House passed H.R.1166, the Decoupling from Foreign Adversarial Battery Dependence Act, by voice vote without opposition. The bill was voted on under the suspension of the rules, a procedure Congress typically uses to expedite the passage of non-controversial bipartisan legislation.
The bill, introduced by Republican Representative Carlos Gimenez, would prohibit DHS from purchasing batteries from six Chinese-linked companies. The Chinese battery manufacturers named in the legislation include CATL, BYD, Envision Energy, EVE Energy, Gotion High-Tech, and Hithium Energy Storage.
A previous version of the Decoupling from Foreign Adversarial Battery Dependence Act had passed with bipartisan support in the last Congress but failed to clear the Senate for formal legislation. All bills must be passed in identical versions by both the House and Senate before being sent to the White House for the president’s signature to become law.
During the March 10 session, the House once again passed the bill by voice vote. Before the vote, Representative Gimenez stated that the U.S. must prevent China from expanding its influence in critical global industries, particularly in battery technology. He emphasized that DHS should not use American taxpayer money to purchase batteries from Chinese companies that collaborate with the Chinese government.
China’s dominance in the electric vehicle (EV) sector has become the latest focal point in U.S.-China competition. As the world's largest battery producer, China accounts for approximately 80% of global battery production and 75% of lithium-ion battery output. With the rapid growth of the global EV market, many international automakers rely on Chinese battery supplies. The U.S. views this dependence as a potential national security risk.
Gimenez warned that reliance on Chinese batteries poses significant risks to the U.S. supply chain. He stressed that DHS must exercise greater caution in its procurement practices related to China to ensure such purchases do not further expand China’s influence.
Following its passage in the House, the bill will now move to the Senate for consideration. It remains unclear what the Senate’s legislative agenda will be regarding this bill.
Source：https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/7sY6agrMTR4jebDtsG8WnQ