Washington needs lithium—but its history of intervention in the region complicates things.
Kathryn Ledebur and Erika Weinthal
Washington will likely need to turn to South America for lithium, a material needed to produce the rechargeable batteries that drive the energy transition. But the progressive governments of Argentina, Bolivia, and Chile—known as the lithium triangle because they have the world’s largest lithium reserves—resent more than a century of U.S. intervention. As global demand soars, all three governments plan to strengthen state control over the industry. They are looking for ways to process their lithium domestically and partner with companies from nations other than the United States—especially China, the international leader in lithium operations.