SK Innovation Hires Sally Yates as Advisor

The construction site of SK Innovation’s Battery Plant 1 in Georgia, the United States

Lawmakers of the U.S. State of Georgia have adopted a resolution calling on LG Energy Solution and SK Innovation to reach an agreement to end their electric vehicle (EV) battery dispute.

The Georgia State Senate unanimously passed a resolution on March 23 (local time) urging the two Korean companies to negotiate a settlement, the Newnan Times-Herald, a media outlet in Georgia, reported on March 24.

The resolution was intended to preserve jobs and “protect the United States’ competitive edge in electric vehicle battery production and supply chain,” according to the Newnan Times-Herald.

In an earlier version of the resolution, the Georgia State Senate had pressed President Joe Biden to veto the final ruling of the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC). The earlier version was revised after input from Senate Democrats, according to the report. The revised version will be sent to the state House of Representatives for that chamber’s backing.

Georgia Senator Butch Miller expressed concern that the loss of SK Innovation’s plant would cost Georgia billions of dollars in public and private investments and leave hundreds of people out of work.

Democratic senators joined Republicans, including Gov. Brian Kemp in backing the measure.

On Feb. 10, the U.S. ITC banned SK Innovation from importing battery cells, modules, packs, related parts and materials into the United States for 10 years, for misappropriating trade secrets of LG Energy Solution.

SK Innovation can avoid the penalties if it negotiates a settlement with LG Energy Solution within a 60-day U.S. presidential deliberation period, but their negotiations are stalled due to a wide gap between the two companies over settlement money. LG Energy Solution is demanding at least three trillion won in damages while SK is offering less than one trillion won, industry sources say.

Meanwhile, SK Innovation announced on March 24 that it has hired Sally Yates, a former deputy attorney general, as its business advisor. Yates was a former prosecutor and served as deputy attorney general under the Obama administration. At the beginning of the Trump administration, she was appointed as acting attorney general, but was dismissed after 10 days.

Yates urged President Joe Biden to veto the ITC ruling. Biden can veto it until April 9.

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