Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy sent a letter to Ford Motors recently, urging the company to end its ties to China and instead focus on American manufacturing, citing national security concerns.

The secretary claimed in the letter to Ford CEO Jim Farley that increasing the company's dependence on a foreign power weakens it and harms American workers. Ford continues to manufacture vehicles with Chinese companies abroad.

“When a company intentionally chooses to deepen operational dependencies on strategic competitors, it fails to act as the reliable partner the American public and this DOT require,” Duffy wrote in the letter, which was published Tuesday. “Iconic American companies, like Ford, are also expected to out-innovate competitors. To that end, they need to chart clear paths to technological self-reliance."

The letter, which was sent last week, comes after Ford recently used licensed technology from Chinese battery manufacturer Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Ltd. at its BlueOval Battery Park facility in Marshall, Michigan, despite it being on the Department of War’s list of banned companies.

Ford also recently reached a manufacturing agreement with Chinese company Geely Auto to create new low- and zero-emission vehicles at Ford’s Valencia, Spain factory.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.