US must develop national battery strategy to counter China dominance

⚡ AI Executive Summary

China controls over 80 percent of global battery cell production and 98 percent of lithium-iron-phosphate cathode manufacturing, leveraging industrial policy, subsidies, and scale to dominate the supply chain. The country's battery exports and falling component prices continue accelerating, with production capacity expected to double by 2030. Military applications increasingly depend on advanced batteries for drones, submarines, directed energy weapons, and robotic systems—areas where technology leadership carries strategic implications. The United States should pursue a comprehensive national battery strategy, including allied partnerships and investment in next-generation chemistries like solid-state and lithium-sulfur batteries that could bypass Chinese supply chain dependencies and restore competitive advantage through innovation rather than scale.