The Trump administration is readying another policy to block exports of mineral-rich scrap needed to make batteries and weapons that would otherwise be sent to China for processing.
The Commerce Department is planning to publish a temporary final rule in the Federal Register on Thursday that would block exports of so-called black mass — essentially battery scraps — and tungsten waste unless the agency’s Bureau of Industry and Security grants a waiver. Producers of those materials would be required to sell in the U.S. for one year.
The Trump administration in recent days has ramped up efforts to keep mineral-rich material in the U.S., part of a broader effort to make both domestic and military supply chains more self-reliant. The president signed a separate memo last week blocking the exports of mineral-rich waste, and warned that an inadequate supply of critical minerals and materials poses a risk to national defense and security.
The order slated to publish Thursday invokes the Cold War-era Defense Production Act to restrict exports of black mass. The dark, powdery mixture is created by shredding lithium-ion batteries and can yield minerals like cobalt, nickel and lithium, and potentially iron and phosphate, which can then be refined and reused to make new batteries.
