The inclusion of CATL, the world's leading manufacturer of batteries for electric cars, on the controversial blacklist of the United States Department of Defense, has sparked a wave of tensions between the world's two largest economies. The American country classifies the Chinese company as a "military company" due to its alleged links with the Chinese People's Liberation Army.
The decision does not entail direct sanctions, but it does threaten to seriously harm the CATL reputation in the international market and discourage future collaborations with American companiesThis scenario could have significant repercussions for the company, which supplies automotive giants such as Tesla, BMW, Volkswagen and Honda, and which controls close to the 37% of the global electric battery market.
Economic and geopolitical repercussions
The measure has had a obvious impact on the stock market. Shortly after the news broke, the CATL shares They suffered a fall of almost 3%, reflecting the Uncertainty generated among investors and partners. Also, other big Chinese names included in the list, such as Tencent, also saw similar collapses.
The scope of this decision could also affect Strategic projects in Europe. In particular, it highlights The gigafactory that CATL and Stellantis plan to build in Spain. Although these restrictions do not imply direct legal sanctions, they could create obstacles in the supply of essential materials or technologies for these initiatives.
China responds harshly
From Beijing, CATL and other affected parties have not been slow to react.In official statements, the company has described the Pentagon's decision as a "mistake" and has insisted that it does not participate in activities related to the military field. This has been backed by senior Chinese government spokesmen, who have called the US policy an attempt at “unjustified repression” against Chinese leading technology companies. In turn, they have announced that they will take measures to protect its legitimate interests.
For its part, Chinese media have pointed out that this decision can be interpreted as a New chapter in growing technological competition between the two powers. In the last year, strategic sectors such as the Artificial Intelligence and chips have also been affected by similar tensions.
Impact on the global battery market
CATL's inclusion in this listing could have significant implications for the battery industry worldwide.With an unrivaled market share, its presence is key to supplying the demand for electric vehiclesIn countries such as the United States and Europe, where aggressive strategies are being implemented, energy transition, any limitations on collaboration with key suppliers as CATL can translate into delays and cost overruns in your supply chains; as well as curbing EU plans for mobility changes.
Moreover, the move appears to underline the growing US intention to reduce its dependence on Chinese supply chains. Manufacturers like Panasonic They have already announced that they will prioritize alternatives to materials or components from China, which gives rise to an obvious redesign of industrial strategies in this sector.
An uncertain future for the Stellantis and CATL plant in Spain
CATL's inclusion on this list comes at a critical time for Europe. As various media outlets point out, the plant that the company plans to build together with Stellantis in Spain, while not directly affected in the short term, could face logistical complications if the tensions between both economies continue to climb. The project, which involves an investment of more than 4.000 billion euros, is of utmost importance for the automotive industry, and any setback could disrupt the construction and production times.
In any case, the impact on the plant is still uncertain, since according to several experts, the restrictions applied by the United States are more aimed at avoiding the use of advanced technology on US territory to paralyze the CATL's expansion into foreign markets.
In CATL's latest statement, the company stressed that it will continue to act proactively to correct this classification, including through legal action if necessary.
Meanwhile, one of the points that most worries is whether this measure will be adopted by Other countries allied to the United States or whether it will be limited to unilateral action. In the past, member countries of the European Union have shown caution in the face of measures that may impact their own economies, but it is not ruled out that US political pressure could influence them.
The recent decision marks a new milestone in the Trade and technology war that pits China against the United States. With both economies increasingly focused on dominate strategic sectors Like renewable energy and electromobility, actions like this threaten to further fragment a global market that already faces multiple challenges. challenges, Since the raw material shortage to inflation in production costs.
Source - CATL
Images – CATL