> CATL

Battery technology and chemistry is export controlled by China [0], which has hurt European attempts at doing what you mentioned [1].

> Panasonic

They have chosen to concentrate on America instead [2]

[0] - https://www.mayerbrown.com/en/insights/publications/2025/10/...

[1] - https://merics.org/en/comment/chinese-restrictions-threaten-...

[2] - https://www.reuters.com/technology/panasonic-localise-its-us...

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toomuchtodo 4 hours ago | parent [-]

CATL is building one of the largest battery manufacturing facilities in Europe in Spain.

https://www.reuters.com/world/china/chinas-catl-breaks-groun...

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46061492 (“CATL's Spain plant will likely be one of Europe's largest LFP battery production hubs at ~50GWh of production capacity, employing ~4k workers with an investment of ~€4.1B.”)

	▲	alephnerd 4 hours ago \| parent [-]
		China views Spain as a better strategic partner [0] than Germany. China and Spain signed a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2021 [1] and Spain is lobbying on behalf of China against the "Made in EU" act [2]. On the other hand, Germany is backing EU quotas and origination requirements to push back against Chinese overproduction [3]. Of course, China and Germany have fallen out due to Ukraine [4] as well as China's negative perception about the EU as an institution [5]. [0] - https://cn.chinadiplomacy.org.cn/2026-06/19/content_11855853... [1] - https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/eng/gjhdq_665435/3265_665445/3356_6... [2] - https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-04-16/china-lob... [3] - https://www.ft.com/content/06b7fe04-25f7-445b-824a-135ae7359... [4] - https://www.reuters.com/world/china/germany-closer-us-than-c... [5] - https://fddi.fudan.edu.cn/_t2515/57/f8/c21257a743416/page.ht...