The Trump administration has announced 93.5 percent tariffs on Chinese refined graphite, the typical anode component in electric vehicle batteries. According to a New York Times article by Jack Ewing published on 7/17/2025, this decision, combined with the elimination of tax credits for EV purchases and leases, will likely increase vehicle prices and reduce accessibility for average consumers. This policy has created immediate hurdles for the green energy transition and multiple American businesses. The tariffs will impact American car manufacturers who have EV models, including Ford Motor and Tesla, as well as local battery suppliers like Panasonic and LG Energy Solution. The timing of this announcement is most concerning, however, to Panasonic, as they recently established a new factory in De Soto, Kansas with 4,000 employees whose futures are now in jeopardy. The ultimate effects are slightly more complex, however; while the short-term effect is adverse to both the EV market and American workers, these tariffs, as tariffs are intended to do, could actually result in greater U.S. disconnection from the Chinese supply chain. The policy will likely incentivize American companies to invest in domestic graphite mining or synthetic production using hydrocarbons here in the U.S. If successful, this could create domestic employment opportunities and investment opportunities while also eliminating the environmental costs currently coming from international shipping. The question is simply how quickly American industry can adapt to meet demand while maintaining competitive prices, and whether the inevitable short-term disruption will hinder the administration’s claimed goals of energy independence and domestic manufacturing growth.