Ford Motor Company issued a strong statement on September 9, directly refuting U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy's public accusations regarding its cooperation with Chinese companies, calling his criticism "a misguided attempt to grab headlines" and "completely overstepping his authority." Previously, on September 8, Duffy sent a letter to Ford CEO Jim Farley, characterizing Ford's battery technology licensing agreement with China's CATL and its vehicle manufacturing cooperation with China's Geely Group as "unacceptable," and questioning Ford's patriotism. Mark Truby, Ford's Chief Communications Officer, stated that Duffy's letter does not represent the overall policy stance of the government, and countered by citing previous positive comments from the White House and the Department of Commerce. A spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in the U.S. urged the U.S. to stop politicizing economic and trade issues on the same day.