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The Japanese company Panasonic suspended a cobalt supplier for fear of a US sanction for the embargo on the island.
LONDON (Reuters) –
Panasonic said it could not determine what part of the cobalt used in the batteries that it manufactures for Tesla cars comes from Cuba, a country subject to sanctions by the United States, and that this doubt has led to suspend its relations with a Canadian supplier
The Japanese electronics giant, exclusive supplier of batteries to Tesla, said this after qu & rsquo; He was asked if the batteries contained Cuban cobalt.
They said that part of the cobalt used by Panasonic to make Tesla batteries is mined in Cuban mines by the Canadian firm Sherritt International.
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Panasonic has stated that it is unable to establish how much Cuban cobalt has been found – by l intermediate of the Canadian company – in batteries that he sold in the US market "because of the mixture of sources in his country eedores in several phases of the manufacturing process."
"Panasonic has decided to suspend its relationship with its Canadian supplier, "said a spokeswoman, without identifying the company. He added that Panasonic has used cobalt from the Canadian company for batteries used in Tesla's S and Model X models, but only since February of this year.
"Panasonic sought advice from the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the US Treasury Department (OFAC) on its interpretation of the scope of the US ban on imports of Cuban origin," he said. he says.
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Tesla did not say if his batteries contain Cuban cobalt or if the company could potentially violate the sanctions. A spokesman said: "Tesla is trying to approach zero use of cobalt in the near future."
Sherritt declined to comment when he was selling cobalt to Panasonic. "We do not answer questions about specific client activities," said spokesman Joe Racanelli.
"We have been working in Cuba for 25 years and we sell our refined grade 1 nickel and cobalt at our plant in Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta. to customers in Europe and Asia. "
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