On Monday, Democratic Senator Joe Manchin requested the US Treasury to implement the “strictest possible standards” to exclude Chinese battery firms or minerals from receiving tax credits for electric vehicles. The Senate Energy Committee’s chair, Senator Manchin, expressed concerns to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen in a letter regarding rumours that Chinese battery companies are actively looking for ways to capitalise on the credits. He further stated that US tax credits “cannot be allowed to be hijacked by adversaries engaging in mineral laundering.” The Inflation Reduction Act, enacted by Congress in 2022, prohibits future consumer EV tax credits of $7,500 if…