LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo sent a letter on Monday to President Donald Trump asking for relief from tariffs that threaten to kill lithium manufacturing in the U.S.
Lombardo’s letter noted that Nevada is at the forefront of efforts to set up domestic manufacturing that will help to achieve U.S. energy independence.
Currently, all manufacturing-grade lithium is imported from China, the letter said. Some U.S. companies export lithium to Canada and Mexico for processing. Lithium is key to manufacturing electric vehicles, and Nevada is home to the largest known U.S. deposits of the mineral.
“Mr. President, I respectfully urge you to reconsider and remove the tariffs on lithium. Given that domestic processing is not yet a viable option, the current environment poses a serious risk to jobs in Nevada and across the country. Your timely attention to this issue is deeply appreciated. Removing the tariffs on lithium will help secure American jobs, strengthen our economy, and support our path toward energy independence,” Lombardo wrote.
During his first days in office, Trump moved to end Biden administration policies that favored renewable energy projects. Since then, policies have tilted to favor traditional fossil fuels, including opening up more land to oil exploration, and even reviving coal as an energy source.
Lombardo told Trump that Nevada companies cannot absorb the costs of newly imposed tariffs.
Read the full letter here:
“Nevada has already become a hub for energy technology and remains committed to attracting and driving continued growth in this space,” the letter said.
A senior Republican senator, Iowa’s Chuck Grassley, is leading an effort to limit the president’s power to impose tariffs. That probably won’t happen, but Republicans and Democrats alike are concerned about the serious economic impacts of Trump’s tariffs.
