The Electric: Pushback to China's EV Juggernaut

China dominates the electric vehicle, battery and critical metals industries. In recent weeks, though, policymakers in other countries have begun to push back: In Australia, regulators blocked Chinese investment in a lithium mine; in India, officials rejected a factory proposed by the largest Chinese EV maker; and in the U.S. Congress, Republicans challenged a partnership between Ford and China’s largest battery company.

The resistance to China is not everywhere—Brazil, Thailand and Indonesia are among countries enthusiastically welcoming Chinese EV investment. But there is deep suspicion of Chinese EV companies in places including France, which is pushing the EU to investigate claims that China’s government is unfairly subsidizing EV makers. That could lead to new tariffs on Chinese EV imports to the EU, Politico reported.

“China is discovering that the path to the top is lonely,” said Ilaria Mazzocco, an analyst on China at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. “Once you become a dominant force and create a monopoly and are not shy about leveraging that economic power, countries become a lot less willing to become dependent on you.” Illaria noted China’s threat earlier this month to curb exports of germanium and gallium, important for making semiconductors, and an earlier ban on imports of coal from Australia, since lifted.