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Why Everyone’s Worried About America’s Lithium Problem

Only 1% of global lithium is currently mined in the U.S. That could be a problem.

1%: That’s the share of global lithium that is currently mined and processed in the U.S., according to the Wall Street Journal. For context, China mines 10% of the world’s lithium and processes more than two-thirds of the raw metal, which is the core component of rechargeable batteries that power cell phones, laptops, and increasingly electric vehicles.

Climate scientists and analysts forecast a rising demand surge for lithium as fossil fuels take a backseat with the market share of EVs expected to balloon to roughly 50% of total cars manufactured worldwide by 2030. Now, the federal government is focusing on the lithium supply chain, a sign of rapidly shifting geopolitical sands with energy security at the forefront of policymakers’ minds. Last month, President Joe Biden signed an executive order mandating a 100-day review of domestic supply chains for critical materials, including rare earth minerals and semiconductor chips that are crucial for the future of the auto industry.