US Seeks to Jump-Start Battery Supply Chain While China Keeps the Lead
America is trying to shore up its battery-supply chain to lessen China’s long-standing lead, but experts say current funding is small relative to what's needed; the DOE awarded $500 million in Aug 2026 to seven companies across minerals, materials, manufacturing and recycling, including silicon-based anodes and direct-brine lithium extraction. China remains dominant in refining and processing—about 95% of spodumene, 85% of cathode material, over 90% of anode material, and roughly 80% of battery cells. Experts warn that building comparable capacity could take decades and tens to hundreds of billions of dollars, a scenario worsened by canceled Biden-era EV/battery policies and roughly $24 billion in announced battery projects canceled since early 2025.
