{"id":2214251,"date":"2024-04-06T05:21:02","date_gmt":"2024-04-06T09:21:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/a-proposed-biden-environmental-rule-leaves-foreign-companies-iffy-on-american-investment\/"},"modified":"2024-04-06T05:23:51","modified_gmt":"2024-04-06T09:23:51","slug":"a-proposed-biden-environmental-rule-leaves-foreign-companies-iffy-on-american-investment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/a-proposed-biden-environmental-rule-leaves-foreign-companies-iffy-on-american-investment\/","title":{"rendered":"Uncertainty Surrounds Foreign Investment in the U.S. Due to Proposed Biden Environmental Regulation"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fa-proposed-biden-environmental-rule-leaves-foreign-companies-iffy-on-american-investment%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2214251&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The White House is promoting\u2063 President Biden&#8217;s &#8220;Investing In America\u200c Agenda,&#8221;\u2064 but major companies\u2064 may pull\u200d back investments due to strict \u200cenvironmental regulations. The proposed ban on methylene chloride could impact\u2062 tech companies producing battery \u200bseparators for electric vehicles. \u200dInternational firms \u2062warn the rules are unattainable, potentially steering\u2062 investments to other North American countries like Canada\u200b or Mexico.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div>\n<h2>\u2018There&#8217;s no software company in the world that can actually meet that regulation\u2019 <\/h2>\n<figure><figcaption> \t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t(Sean Rayford\/Getty Images)\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p>The White House touted President Joe Biden\u2019s &#8220;Investing In America Agenda&#8221; this week, as major companies warn that his administration\u2019s strict environmental regulations are forcing them to reconsider investments in the U.S. that would otherwise help shore up <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/another-2-trillion-here-are-the-key-components-of-bidens-massive-infrastructure-plan\/\" title=\"Another  Trillion: Here Are The Key Components of Biden\u2019s Massive Infrastructure Plan\">domestic supply chains<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Biden\u2019s Environmental Protection Agency said it will release &#8220;in the coming weeks&#8221; its final rule pertaining to a proposed ban on both commercial and industrial uses of methylene chloride, a chemical currently used by technology companies involved in the production of battery separators for electric vehicles.<\/p>\n<p>The expected crackdown, which falls under the Toxic Substances Control Act, follows a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.epa.gov\/assessing-and-managing-chemicals-under-tsca\/final-risk-evaluation-methylene-chloride#:~:text=Risk%20Evaluation%20Findings-,In%20November%202022%2C%20EPA%20released%20a%20final%20revised%20risk%20determination,under%20its%20conditions%20of%20use.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">November 2022 revised risk determination<\/a> from the Biden administration\u2019s Environmental Protection Agency concluding that methylene chloride presents an unreasonable risk of injury to health. In <a href=\"https:\/\/www.epa.gov\/newsreleases\/epa-proposes-ban-all-consumer-most-industrial-and-commercial-uses-methylene-chloride\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">April 2023<\/a>, the agency followed that determination with a proposed ban on all consumer and &#8220;most industrial&#8221; uses of methylene chloride, which several global companies involved in a critical part of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ford-secures-9-2-billion-government-loan-for-ev-batteries-the-largest-since-2009-bailouts\/\" title=\"Ford receives .2B government loan for EV batteries, biggest since 2009 bailouts.\">battery manufacturing supply chain<\/a> are insisting will hamper their ability to enter the U.S. market. The companies say the regulation is overly burdensome and unattainable, forcing them to reconsider their American investments that they previously had planned.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;There&#8217;s no software company in the world that can actually meet that regulation,&#8221; Paul Chang, public relations director for Japan-based W-SCOPE, told the <em>Washington Free Beacon<\/em>. &#8220;We still need to analyze how the new regulation will impact our business in terms of long term strategy and how that&#8217;s going to complicate our future investment in the U.S. But for now, we&#8217;re looking at investment either in Canada or Mexico, because we need to be in North American operation 100% by 2029. And our only option at this point is those two countries.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>This week the White House kicked off its &#8220;Investing in America tour,&#8221; during which, for three weeks, Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, their spouses, and senior White House personnel will travel to more than 20 states to promote what they say is the Biden administration\u2019s commitment to domestic investments and boosting the American economy\u2019s resilience. In a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/briefing-room\/statements-releases\/2023\/04\/03\/what-they-are-reading-in-the-states-president-bidens-investing-in-america-agenda-is-delivering-for-americans\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">memo<\/a> announcing the tour, the White House said President Biden\u2019s economic policy has, among other things, &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-tries-to-halt-democrats-slide-with-the-working-class-ahead-of-2024\/\" title=\"Biden tries to halt Democrats' slide with the working class ahead of 2024\">strengthened supply chains<\/a> here at home.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>However, several international companies involved in the production of battery separators for electric vehicles, a key component to the United States&#8217; domestic battery supply chain, sent letters to the EPA informing the agency that its planned regulation on methylene chloride is forcing them to reconsider their planned U.S. investments. SK IE Technology, a South Korea-based company with plans to enter the North American market within the next few years, indicated in a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.regulations.gov\/comment\/EPA-HQ-OPPT-2020-0465-0226\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">letter<\/a> to the EPA that they view the proposed prohibition as &#8220;a gating issue which threatens to preclude US investment.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The use of methylene chloride (MC) is essential to the process of producing separators necessary for the EV and clean energy agenda to succeed. Unless addressed, this Proposed Rule threatens that agenda and the ability to domestically produce key components like separators,&#8221; the company said in its letter. The South Korean company also requested clarification on how the agency plans to categorize industrial versus commercial uses for methylene chloride, suggesting it adopt an alternative categorization method that would allow &#8220;safe, sustainable use of MC to produce high-quality EV battery separators in the United States.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Polypore International, another international battery separator manufacturer, similarly requested the EPA amend the parameters of its proposed final rule. &#8220;Without reliable access to lithium battery technology, the United States has no chance of meeting the Administration\u2019s clean energy goals,&#8221; a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.regulations.gov\/comment\/EPA-HQ-OPPT-2020-0465-0251\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">letter<\/a> to the agency from Polypore stated. &#8220;With this in mind, we are asking the EPA to fully reconsider the proposed rule on methylene chloride and instead implement a solution that would allow existing mechanisms \u2026 to be properly modified based on appropriate and science-based exposure thresholds so that methylene chloride can continue to be used safely and responsibly in the United States of America.&#8221;\t<\/p>\n<p>The EPA insisted that it has worked closely with stakeholders throughout the rulemaking process. &#8220;EPA plans to finalize the risk management rule for methylene chloride in the coming weeks,&#8221; the agency told the <em>Free Beacon.<\/em> &#8220;EPA cannot say exactly what the provisions of the final rule will be at this time, although public comments will inform any changes from the proposed rule.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Besides the proposed ban on methylene chloride, Cheng said the upcoming presidential election and loopholes being utilized by China, designated a foreign entity of concern by the U.S., are also factors that W-SCOPE is keeping an eye on to determine whether to follow through with their previously planned U.S. investments. &#8220;We need to see more clear guidelines on if the US regulators are willing to completely shut off their components, suppliers from China, and are they willing to close loopholes,&#8221; Cheng told the <em>Free Beaco<\/em>n. &#8220;That&#8217;s our second biggest concern at this point.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Major companies caution that President Biden&#8217;s stringent environmental regulations are prompting reevaluation of U.S. investments under his &#8220;Investing In America Agenda.&#8221; Despite the White House&#8217;s promotion, concerns linger about meeting the regulatory standards, potentially impacting foreign investment in the U.S. as companies hesitate to commit<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2088,"featured_media":2214252,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/freebeacon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/president-biden-delivers-remarks-to-the-south-carolina-democratic-part-2-scaled-e1707429719451.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[544],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2214251","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-free-beacon"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/freebeacon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/president-biden-delivers-remarks-to-the-south-carolina-democratic-part-2-scaled-e1707429719451.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2214251","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2088"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2214251"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2214251\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2214252"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2214251"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2214251"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2214251"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}