The Electric: Would China Retaliate by Squeezing the U.S. Battery Supply?

China has so far refrained from retaliating for U.S. attacks on its tech sector, such as the clampdown on Chinese access to advanced semiconductors. But should Beijing decide to strike back, a primary source of leverage is its near-chokehold on the global supply of electric vehicle battery chemicals and components, according to an expert on chips.

Chris Miller, a history professor at Tufts University and the author of “Chip War,” said he doubted that China would cut off the sale of finished batteries to U.S. auto companies or their suppliers. But, in an appearance Thursday on Live Chat With The Electric, he said China’s supply of battery chemicals and components was “potentially [a] more attractive lever to exercise political influence.”