Biden poised to use Cold War powers to boost battery metals
President Joe Biden is poised to invoke as soon as this week Cold War powers to encourage domestic production of critical minerals for electric-vehicle and other types of batteries, according to people familiar with the matter.
The White House is discussing adding battery materials to the list of items covered by the 1950 Defense Production Act, the same authority wielded by Harry Truman to make steel for the Korean War and Donald Trump to spur mask production to tackle the coronavirus pandemic, said the people, who requested anonymity as the details are not yet public.