Trump Supercharges Battery Race With Stake in Lithium Americas

The “Art of the Deal” author just can’t quit making deals. Following recent power moves with MP MaterialsMP

, Ukraine, and IntelINTC

, Trump wants another slice of the mineral rush. Now, the President eyes a 10% stake in Lithium AmericasLAC

as the mining outfit seeks funding for the Western Hemisphere’s largest lithium mine.

• Projected to open in 2028, the Thacker Pass mine aims to produce 40K metric tons of battery-grade lithium per year — significantly higher than the 5K currently produced stateside.
• LAC
  surged 95% as Washington jointly pressed co-investor GMGM
  to guarantee lithium purchases — while keeping government takeover rights if costs spike or deadlines slip.

Battery supremacy: With phase one alone expected to generate enough lithium for up to 800K EVs annually, Thacker Pass seeks to shield investors and American automakers from the functional metal’s wild price swings. Stocks like Standard LithiumSLI

and the Global X Lithium ETFLIT

caught fresh interest on Wednesday, the former closing 20% higher. Still, mining is just the start as China refines more than 75% of battery-ready lithium, suggesting America’s “battery arms race” is going to need a lot more juice.