House E&C Republicans fear U.S. autos threatened by Chinese company

A dozen Republicans on the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee, led by ranking member U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), are concerned that China’s Huawei Technologies Co. threatens United States autos.

Specifically, they want U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to address recent media reports that Huawei has gained more access to America’s semiconductor technology, which the company has reportedly been approved by U.S. officials to purchase for its next-generation vehicles.

“The single greatest safety application of AI [artificial intelligence] we will see for our citizens and our economic security is in the automotive sector, and specifically its application in autonomous vehicles (AV),” Rep. McMorris Rodgers and her committee colleagues wrote in a Sept. 9 letter sent to Buttigieg. “AVs are also essential for the future mobility of our seniors and those with disabilities as a new source of freedom. We must not surrender to China and its efforts to dominate our high-tech sectors, including AVs.”

The GOP committee members asked Buttigieg to respond to numerous questions, including if he is aware of Huawei’s intentions to purchase semiconductors and further its automotive ambitions; if Huawei should have the ability to purchase semiconductors for next-generation vehicles; and whether the Department of Transportation has reviewed the security of U.S. interests in the global semiconductor supply chain and whether U.S. companies are able to accommodate their domestic interests, among many others.

“As you know, news of the approvals also arrives with the backdrop of a semiconductor shortage for many U.S. sectors, from automotive to health to energy,” the lawmakers wrote. “As the world continues to rebound from COVID-19 and related supply chain shortages, we must do everything we can to protect and secure our domestic sector needs.”