Republican Senators Urge Pentagon Chief to Bolster Lithium Production in US

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Oct 21, 2025 - 09:55 Updated: Oct 21, 2025 - 09:46
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Republican Senators Urge Pentagon Chief to Bolster Lithium Production in US

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Three Republican senators said the Pentagon should strengthen support for U.S. lithium suppliers, including those in their home states, warning that reliance on China for the critical mineral poses national security risks.

Arkansas Sens. Tom Cotton and John Boozman and Texas Sen. John Cornyn sent a letter to War Secretary Pete Hegseth on Oct. 17 noting that current U.S. lithium production stands at about 1 percent of the world’s total supply, while China’s communist regime “overwhelmingly dominates” global production and processing.

The senators stressed that lithium is essential for advanced weapons systems, unmanned aerial vehicles, and battlefield energy storage.

“A resilient domestic lithium supply will shield our military from supply chain disruptions, geopolitical manipulation, and other external threats. This is not a corporate subsidy; it is a national security investment to detangle our supply chains from Communist China,” the senators wrote.

China has further solidified its market dominance on lithium, the senators stated, after the Chinese regime’s recent decision to limit its exports.

On Oct. 9, China’s Ministry of Commerce announced a new round of export controls, including new permit requirements taking effect on Nov. 8 for exporters seeking to ship some high-end lithium-ion batteries, cathode materials, graphite anode materials, and certain technologies used to produce them.

In 2024, China exported about $15.3 billion worth of lithium-ion batteries, according to Chinese state-run media, citing customs data.

The U.S. senators said there are “aspiring domestic lithium producers” in the United States, but that they face “serious headwinds from Communist China.”

The Pentagon “should consider employing additional tools to bolster the U.S. lithium industry, including [the] use of Defense Production Act Title III,” the senators wrote.

“This sends a clear signal to market participants that it’s worthwhile to invest in our domestic capacity, and by taking this necessary step, we could significantly reduce our dependence on Communist China for lithium.”

In March, President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing federal agencies to expedite mineral projects by streamlining the permitting process, identifying federal lands for mining, and prioritizing critical mineral development under the Defense Production Act.
In response to the executive order, the Department of the Interior and the Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council announced that permitting would be fast-tracked for 10 mining projects under the FAST-41 infrastructure initiative. The projects included Albemarle’s Silver Peak Lithium Mine expansion in Nevada, Jindalee Lithium’s McDermitt lithium project in Oregon, and Smackover Lithium’s South West Arkansas brine project.

Smackover Lithium, a joint venture between Standard Lithium and Equinor, was established in May 2024 to develop two Direct Lithium Extraction projects targeting lithium-rich brine resources within the Smackover Formation in east Texas and southwest Arkansas. Earlier this month, it filed a definitive feasibility study for its South West Arkansas project, outlining an annual production capacity of 22,500 metric tons of battery-grade lithium carbonate over a 20-year period.

The Smackover area in southwest Arkansas and east Texas is “the highest-grade lithium brine resource in North America” and “the most promising region to significantly contribute to domestic lithium needs over the next five to twenty years,” the senators wrote.

The senators also highlighted Standard Lithium as a leader with proven direct lithium extraction technology and operation teams in the United States.

“This will lead to [more] development from other companies that have chosen to operate in the Smackover region,” the senators said.

Albemarle, Chevron, EnergyX, and ExxonMobil are all actively developing lithium resources in the Smackover Formation.

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