‘We don’t want that weakness exposed’: US Senator Lisa Murkowski seeks new law to offset China’s dominance in electric vehicle supply chains
- Chair of Senate’s Energy and Natural Resources Committee to introduce Minerals Security Act with fellow senator Joe Manchin
- China produces nearly two-thirds of world’s lithium-ion batteries and controls most of world’s lithium processing facilities
A US senator plans to introduce legislation on Thursday to streamline regulation and permitting requirements for the development of mines for lithium, graphite and other electric vehicle supply chain minerals, part of a plan to offset China’s dominance in the space.
While Tesla, Volkswagen and other electric-focused carmakers and battery manufacturers are expanding in the United States, they are reliant on mineral imports without a major push to develop more domestic mines and processing facilities.
US Senator Lisa Murkowski, the Alaska Republican who is chair of the Senate’s Energy and Natural Resources Committee, said she will introduce the Minerals Security Act alongside Senator Joe Manchin, a West Virginia Democrat.
“Our challenge is still a failure to understand the vulnerability we are in as a nation when it comes to reliance on others for our minerals,” Murkowski said.
China already dominates the electric-vehicle supply chain.