The US Department of Commerce requires car companies to submit sensitive data or find cases in which imported cars threaten national security

According to foreign media reports, as part of the US national security investigation on whether cars and parts are threatening, the US Department of Commerce requires car companies to submit some sensitive information. According to reports, the US Department of Commerce's Industrial Security Administration has sent a 34-page questionnaire to several car companies this month to collect sensitive information on topics such as finance, factories, and supply chains.

Several members of the American Automobile Manufacturers Union received the survey, said Gloria Bergquist, a spokesperson for the alliance. "The problem is very broad and deep. Global business requires a large amount of proprietary and private business data, all of which are national security. As an excuse, it has certain aggression." The alliance's members include GM, Toyota and Volkswagen Group. “Frankly, it’s amazing to receive such a survey from a government agency that claims not to be involved in the company’s business.”

According to reports, the Trump administration wants to understand the R&D budget of each company in the fields of autonomous driving, electrification, connected cars and lightweight technology. In addition, the questionnaire also asked about the suppliers and supplier addresses of major automotive systems. The Trump administration also hopes to obtain the business plan of the surveyed enterprises before 2020. The planning of each factory in the world is also part of the questionnaire, asking the company to indicate whether it will expand, cut or close the factory. In addition, the government also asked companies to explain why they should build factories in overseas trade zones.

The questionnaire also asked whether the import caused losses in sales, profits or profit margins, and directly asked, “From 2013 to the second quarter of 2018, in the field of passenger cars, light trucks, SUVs and light trucks, imports brought How the competition has affected the company's US manufacturing operations, sales, jobs, expansion and investment."

The cover of the survey pointed out that the company needs to fill out the questionnaire according to law, and the failure to fill out will face up to one year of imprisonment and a fine of $10,000. As of press time, a representative of the Industrial Security Administration did not respond to the request for comment in a timely manner.

Susan Helper, the former chief economist of the US Department of Commerce during Obama's administration, pointed out that the Industrial Security Administration has done many investigations in the past, but most of them are closely related to the defense industry. "This is related to the Trump administration's expansion of the definition of national security. I did not expect it."

John Bozzella, president of the Global Manufacturers Association, pointed out that the survey meant that the Ministry of Commerce did not have a "case" to prove that imported cars and parts pose a threat to national security. “After opening the survey, they did not find a concrete example. No examples were found in all of the more than 2,000 comments submitted, and now they are just looking for cases.”

On July 19th, the US Department of Commerce will hold a hearing on the investigation. 45 representatives from domestic and foreign companies and trade unions will attend the hearing. The hearing was initially conducted for two days, but on July 12, the US Department of Commerce announced that it would be shortened to one day.

In May of this year, US President Trump asked the US Department of Commerce to investigate whether imported cars and parts harm the national security of the United States and decide whether to impose import tariffs. The questionnaire sent to the car companies is part of the survey. US Commerce Secretary Ross said at the time, "There is evidence that imports have been corroded for the domestic auto industry in the United States for decades, and the Ministry of Commerce will conduct a thorough, fair and transparent investigation." In the statement, both automakers and component manufacturers warned that rising tariffs would disrupt the supply chain, increase consumer costs, and disrupt business.