05-19-2026IMPACT COUNCIL

The country needs a resilient domestic battery supply chain 

The U.S. must build a strong battery supply chain to power growing energy demands.

[Photo: Getty Images]

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The U.S. currently sources a large portion of its critical minerals supply from foreign entities— a dependency that puts national security, economic competitiveness, and energy transition at risk. To build a stronger, more resilient domestic battery industry, we must understand what’s driving demand for critical minerals, how to diversify supply chains, the role of policy, and how innovation is reshaping the landscape. To put this into perspective, for 19 out of 20 strategic critical minerals, China is the leading refiner, with an average market share of approximately 70%.

Demand for critical minerals doesn’t start in the ground; it starts with consumer trends that are transforming the global economy. The fastest-growing consumer markets today share a common dependency: they run on batteries, and batteries run on critical minerals. This challenge is not just the resources; it’s the entire supply chain that sources them and converts them into usable inputs.

6 FORCES........

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