WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) today issued the below statementopposing the Biden Administration’s decision to allow the electric vehicle tax credit to go toward cars made using a key battery component from China. Today the Treasury Department released a final rule allowing electric vehicles with batteries made using graphite and other minerals from China to qualify for EV tax credits. Brown has led efforts to ensure American tax dollars support American workers and has called on the president to ban Chinese electric vehicles in the U.S.
“The Administration is wrong – this will allow China to infiltrate the American auto supply chain, at American taxpayers’ expense. American tax dollars should support American manufacturing and American workers – not enrich Chinese companies,” said Brown. “Ohioans in Appalachia are pioneering exciting work to turn coal into graphite that could be used in these batteries. We cannot allow Chinese companies, controlled by the Chinese Communist Party, to use our tax dollars to stop this work in Ohio before it gets off the ground.” Graphite Casting Crucible
Rod Graphite Brown is leading efforts to stop China from infiltrating the American auto industry. Last month, in a letter to President Biden, Brown called for the U.S. to ban Chinese-made electric vehicles to protect Ohio autoworkers, and to combat the economic and national security threats posed by Chinese automakers. Brown has long led efforts to ensure that American tax dollars support American workers. He secured the strongest ever Buy America protections in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, to ensure that manufactured products, construction materials, and iron and steel used in federally funded infrastructure projects are Made in America. He has also pressedTreasury Secretary Janet Yellen to ensure that taxpayer dollars under the 45X Advanced Manufacturing Tax Credit cannot go to Chinese companies assembling parts in the United States.