This move is directly tied to China’s efforts to weaponize its supply chain through tariffs and export controls. Significant progress has been made in building an American supply chain our nation can rely on to produce equipment for defense, communications, and other high-tech applications. For example, we now have the start of a USA-made supply chain for lithium batteries. The deal will give the Commerce Department approximately 16 million shares in the company, as well as a warrant to acquire another 17.6 million shares, the department said. Beijing believed it could choke off America’s future by squeezing our rare earth supply chain.