Charges that Gotion High-Tech benefits from forced labor in China are detailed in a six-page letter sent Wednesday by five U.S. lawmakers to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The letter requests that DHS add Gotion High-Tech to what’s called the Entity List under the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act.
“Newly discovered information,” the letter says, “indicates that Gotion maintains extensive business relationships…with companies directly linked to forced labor and involved in the ongoing genocide of Uyghurs and other predominantly Muslim ethnic groups.” Gotion’s supply chains are “deeply compromised” by its links to companies using forced labor, says the letter.
A subsidiary of Gotion High-Tech is attempting to build a $3.5 billion electric vehicle battery plant in Manteno Illinois, which is subsidized by $536 million from the State of Illinois. The Manteno project, as well as a similar one proposed in Michigan are highly controversial and face stiff local opposition, including lawsuits.
Signatories on the letter include Darin LaHood of Illinois; Sen. Marco Rubio; Rep. John Moolenaar, who chairs the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party on which LaHood sits; and Rep. Mark Green, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee. All signatories are Republicans.
Being added to the Entity List “would be a major hurdle” for Gotion’s U.S. aspirations,” according to a Thursday Wall Street Journal article, jeopardizing its Illinois and Michigan projects. According to the letter, the U.S. Departments of State, Treasury, and Commerce have jointly stated that “[B]usinesses and individuals that do not exit
supply chains, ventures, and/or investments connected to Xinjiang could run a high risk of violating U.S. law.”
Wirepoints is following the Gotion controversy closely. Earlier major articles on it are collected here.
-Mark Glennon
A mess of uncertainty and litigation is sure to follow.
With $162 billion more from taxpayers, couldn’t you deliver a few bond upgrades, too
Why is Illinois subsidizing the CCP? Why not get Elon Musk or another American investor to build the plant? Having lived and worked in China as an expat for an American corporation, I know the CCP will extract every dime they can and give nothing back to the state. Pritzker just wants to hobnob with international socialists on the taxpayers’ dime.
Elon gets his batteries from China too. The US represents only 5% of the worlds population and our industrial capacity is no more. This is why, in answer to your question.
Only about 40% of Tesla’s batteries from China.https://cleantechnica.com/2023/08/13/nearly-40-of-teslas-battery-material-suppliers-come-from-china/
Pritzker and his fellow communists are trying to create a CCP style state in Illinois so the powers that be (Round boy) have no problem with this connection to forced labor.!
No one likes force labor, no one.
How much debt does a newborn child start out with in Illinois?
The Chinese get off easy in comparison.
Stupidest comment we’ve seen in a long time.
Federal Debt per capita $101,170
Illinois Debt per capita $49,500
Chicago Debt per capita $42,000
Total debt for a newborn child $192,670
By the time they are 18 years old it could be over $400,000 (just an estimate).
I call this generational theft. Enslaving the next generation to paying off a huge debt.
You printed this article.
Editorial: Illinois’ spending plan is divorced from its fiscal reality (illinoispolicy.org)
I’d take that over China for my kids.
Send your children to Chicago public schools and have them ride on public transportation. Let see what you have to say then.
Gotion is going to create good private sector jobs, something almost no one (in their right mind) will do anymore in Illinois.
Do you know the debt for a newborn based on Illinois only vs the surrounding states? This way we could compare what it will cost a newborn for Indiana or Iowa/etc.
GM, Ford, Tesla, Stellantis, any company making an EV is in the supply chain of forced and child labor. They are also in the supply chain of China because they all get their components from China. If we’re going to point fingers about forced labor, we need to point squarely at all American manufacturers. America can’t make its own damn car parts, so we get them from talent that can, Chinese companies. 80% or more of any car you buy is made of Chinese company parts. Then we have clueless politicians screaming China is the enemy, when in reality China… Read more »
Most of the minerals are in other countries. I read one piece that says the US has enough minerals, and I think it meant for a US mass or forced market, but does not have the setup for mining. The economics for mining isn’t good. The child slave labor in China is associated with mining done in that country.
The Congo too for cobalt
Thank you Chairman Mao
Thank you forced labor supporter. The cell phone or computer you are posting from contains lithium batteries sourced from China.
Rick, that hardly justifies this particular deal with a taxpayer cost of $8.5 billion paid to Gotion (in IL subsidies and federal tax credits) for a plant that will cost Gotion just $3.5 billion to build, creating just 2,800 jobs. It’s not as if there aren’t alternatives. Chinese batteries may be marginally better but the US, Japan and Sourth Korea make batteries widely used. And investing so heavily in EVs is turning out to be a monumental error. They aren’t ready yet. I have no problem with extensive trade with China, but throwing money at a company like this, linked… Read more »
Totally agree about any govt. subsidies for EV’s and infrastructure. My point is American industrial capacity is too far gone to ever come back. That makes us ripe for these situations. I didn’t see any US companies offering a plant.
Should be a showstopper, you’d think.
Fat Fredo doesn’t care. He’s corrupt, and the people who actually think he’s doing a good job are part of the problem.
Not new news . Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act mentioned months ago.
Another example of selective enforcement of laws.
JB obviously supports forced labor
Not to mention gluttony.