Ford Motor Co on Friday dismissed criticism from the U.S. International Trade Commission for not being based on a public interest hearing, noting that it committed to SK Innovation's battery programs before any misconduct had surfaced.
The US carmaker said the “key facts” would have emerged if the ITC conducted a hearing.
Ford said it does not condone actions that SK is accused of, referring to accusations of trade secret misappropriation and destroying of evidence during an investigation.
The ITC criticized Ford for pursuing new EV contracts with SK even after evidence had emerged that the South Korean EV battery maker misappropriated trade secrets from LG Chem.
Last month, the ITC issued a limited 10-year exclusion order prohibiting imports of SK-made lithium-ion batteries.
The ITC permitted SK to import components for producing batteries for Ford’s EV F-150 program for four years, and Volkswagen’s MEB electric vehicle line for North America for two years.
SK wants the ITC decision to be overturned by President Joe Biden and warned it would halt construction of a $2.6 billion battery plant in Georgia if it is not.


Bank of Japan Signals Readiness for Near-Term Rate Hike as Inflation Nears Target
Asian Markets Surge as Japan Election, Fed Rate Cut Bets, and Tech Rally Lift Global Sentiment
Yen Slides as Japan Election Boosts Fiscal Stimulus Expectations
RBI Holds Repo Rate at 5.25% as India’s Growth Outlook Strengthens After U.S. Trade Deal
Dollar Near Two-Week High as Stock Rout, AI Concerns and Global Events Drive Market Volatility
Trump Signs Executive Order Threatening 25% Tariffs on Countries Trading With Iran
Global Markets Slide as AI, Crypto, and Precious Metals Face Heightened Volatility
Trump Lifts 25% Tariff on Indian Goods in Strategic U.S.–India Trade and Energy Deal
India–U.S. Interim Trade Pact Cuts Auto Tariffs but Leaves Tesla Out
Gold and Silver Prices Slide as Dollar Strength and Easing Tensions Weigh on Metals
Vietnam’s Trade Surplus With US Jumps as Exports Surge and China Imports Hit Record
Indian Refiners Scale Back Russian Oil Imports as U.S.-India Trade Deal Advances
U.S.-India Trade Framework Signals Major Shift in Tariffs, Energy, and Supply Chains
China Extends Gold Buying Streak as Reserves Surge Despite Volatile Prices
Japan Economy Poised for Q4 2025 Growth as Investment and Consumption Hold Firm 



