US House Passes Bill Banning DHS from Purchasing Batteries from Chinese Companies Ningde Times and Others

On Monday (March 10), the United States House of Representatives passed a bill to prohibit the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from purchasing batteries produced by six Chinese companies, including Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited (CATL).

The House Homeland Security Committee stated that the “Decoupling from Foreign Adversarial Battery Dependence Act” would forbid DHS from procuring batteries from six Chinese companies closely associated with the Chinese Communist Party, namely CATL, BYD Company Limited, Farasis Energy Inc., EVE Energy Co., Ltd., Xiamen Chennuo Energy Technology Co., Ltd., and Hefei Guoxuan High-Tech Co., Ltd.

The committee added that this common-sense legislation is similar to a provision in the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act that became law, which prohibited the Department of Defense from purchasing batteries from these Chinese companies. China produces around 80% of the world’s batteries and approximately 70% of lithium-ion batteries globally.

The House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party also announced the passage of the bill on Monday. The committee stated that the House had just passed H.R.1166, which on a bipartisan basis limits DHS purchases of batteries related to companies controlled by the Chinese Communist Party. The measure targets CATL, BYD, and other companies accused of human rights violations and posing security risks. This is a crucial step in reducing America’s reliance on China and protecting our national security. The bill will be sent to the Senate.

The bill was introduced by Republican Congressman Carlos Gimenez. He stated on X on Monday, “We must prevent batteries and all communist China-made products from flowing into the United States.”

Chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee Subcommittee Gimenez said, “America must decouple from communist China in all aspects of our lives. The “Decoupling from Foreign Adversarial Battery Dependence Act” prohibits DHS from procuring batteries from companies linked to communist China. With the passage of this bill, we reiterate our commitment to continue decoupling from communist China while also advocating for the production of crucial materials within our domestic industries.”

“We must proactively maintain our leadership position to address the threats that disrupt American supply chains and jeopardize our national security. We were too late to realize the battery threat posed by China (CCP), and we cannot make the same mistake again. I urge my Senate colleagues to pass this bill so that we can swiftly send it to the President’s desk,” he said.