Akerman Government Strategies Practice Group Associates Li X. Massie and Odette Ponce contributed to International Law Quarterly with the article “Will America’s Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Be a Casualty of the Global Trade War?” The piece addresses how trade policy developments, regulatory requirements, and supply chain considerations are shaping the development of electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure in the United States.
Li and Odette detail how tariffs on imported automobiles, auto parts, steel, aluminum, and critical battery materials are reshaping the EV landscape. They assess how these measures are increasing production costs, straining international supply chains, and complicating efforts to expand EV adoption and charging networks nationwide.
The article also explores the combined impact of U.S.-China trade policy, export controls on rare earth elements, and evolving domestic sourcing requirements under the Build America, Buy America Act. Li and Odette note that while these policies are intended to strengthen domestic manufacturing and reduce reliance on foreign suppliers, their near-term effects may pose significant operational and economic challenges for EV manufacturers, infrastructure developers, and consumers.
Li and Odette emphasize that without a coordinated strategy addressing trade policy, supply chain resilience, and domestic manufacturing capacity, ongoing geopolitical and regulatory pressures could meaningfully slow the growth of the U.S. electric vehicle market.