Directive to control exports of recoverable critical minerals responds to longstanding concerns of the battery recycling industry, and will support the U.S. battery supply chain and national security
ALEXANDRIA, VA. — Battery Council International (BCI), the leading trade association representing the battery manufacturing and recycling industry, strongly supports the Presidential Determination signed by President Donald Trump on July 30 that controls the export of recoverable critical battery minerals including lead, tin, and antimony.
“This directive publicly recognizes what our industry has long understood — that materials recovered from end-of-life batteries are strategic assets,” said BCI President and Executive Director Roger Miksad. “Every ounce of critical battery materials that we recycle at home is an ounce we don’t have to import from strategic competitors.”
The Presidential Determination, drawing on the Defense Production Act of 1950, calls for immediate action to strengthen America’s national security and our manufacturing base. The U.S. lead battery industry alone supports 106,000 direct jobs and more than $35 billion in industrial output.
BCI and its members have long advocated for policies that support a robust, closed-loop domestic supply chain for critical minerals — not only to secure the materials that battery manufacturers depend on, but also to protect public health worldwide. In 1999, the BCI Board of Directors adopted a resolution declaring that the association “opposes the export of used batteries to recycling facilities outside the [North American] countries that are known or suspected to use environmentally unsound practices.”
BCI stands ready to partner with the administration, the Department of Commerce, and Congress as implementation details are developed to protect domestic battery supply chains. The control of critical mineral exports is an important step, as are other efforts including policies that support domestic manufacturing investment, recycling infrastructure, and permitting certainty.
“U.S. battery manufacturers have been supporting the domestic economy for more than a century, and are working hard to expand domestic recycling infrastructure. However, they need regulatory reform and controls to help level the playing field against overseas competitors who have an unfair economic advantage,” said BCI’s Roger Miksad. “We commend President Trump and his administration for taking important action to strengthen America’s critical mineral supply chain.”
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For more information, contact media@batterycouncil.org.
