BILLINGS – A Montana congressman wants a hearing into General Motors Co.’s continued use of foreign precious metals suppliers after canceling a contract with a Montana company.
GM last week dropped Stillwater Mining Co. of Columbus as a supplier. The automaker said it could get metals at lower cost from companies in South Africa, Russia and Pennsylvania.
Platinum and related metals are used in catalytic converters to control vehicle pollution.
U.S. Rep. Denny Rehberg, a Republican, wants the House Natural Resources Committee to look into GM’s actions. He says that as a taxpayer-backed company, GM should give preference to a domestic supplier like Stillwater.
GM last week rejected demands to restore the Stillwater contract made by Montana’s two Democratic U.S. senators, Max Baucus and Jon Tester.