Video On Demand

Report Launch: Friendshoring the Lithium-Ion Battery Supply Chain

Name: Report Launch: Friendshoring the Lithium-Ion Battery Supply Chain
Start: 2024-06-11T13:45:00
End: 2024-06-11T15:00:00
Location: Center for Strategic and International Studies

June 11, 2024 • 9:45 – 11:00 am EDT

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Scholl Chair in International Business

Lithium-ion battery supply chains encapsulate the profound shift in trade, economic, and climate policy currently underway in the United States and abroad. Policymakers seek to create paths towards an effective green transition, but they also must contend with the national security and economic risks posed by U.S. reliance on foreign nations for critical minerals and other necessary materials. The lithium-ion battery supply chain spans the globe, but crucial inputs and processing capabilities are centralized in a handful of countries. This dual dynamic of dispersion and concentration renders the global supply chain susceptible to geopolitical disruptions and shifts in trade relationships. Exacerbating this issue is China’s dominance in lithium-ion manufacturing, including in the processing of most mineral inputs and key end-uses such as EVs—as well as its position as economic competitor and long-term strategic threat to U.S. interests.

The Scholl Chair in International Business’ Friendshoring the Lithium-Ion Battery Project aimed to address current deficiencies in U.S. policies surrounding LIB production and deployment. The project broke down key stages of the lithium-ion battery supply chain into three individual publications. The first delved into processing critical minerals and materials, the second explored the creation of cathode and anode active battery material, and the third piece examines the assembly of battery cells into modules, which are packed and sold to manufacturers of different end products, including EVs, solar power backup storage, consumer technology products, and emergency power backup systems.

Senator James Lankford (R-OK) joined the CSIS Scholl Chair in International Business for the launch of its report on Friendshoring the Lithium-Ion Battery Supply Chain on June 11. He offered keynote remarks on the importance of reducing dependence on China for critical minerals, followed by a fireside chat with CSIS's William Reinsch. This discussion was followed by a panel of experts from industry and government which dove deeper into the report's findings.

This event is made possible through the support of the Cobalt Institute, the American Chemistry Council, Autos Drive America, the American Clean Power Association, and the Consumer Technology Association.