American Salars positions Nevada lithium project as tariff shield
CSE-listed American Salars Lithium is banking on its Nevada-based Black Rock South project to insulate itself from potential trade disruptions as the US lithium market braces for new tariffs under a possible second Trump administration.
The Vancouver-based miner said the domestic asset offers a “critical safeguard” against supply chain shocks and rising costs, as the US considers new protectionist measures on lithium imports, particularly from top-producing nations such as China, Chile, and Argentina.
“Shifting trade policies could create new challenges,” CEO and director Nick Horsley said. “By securing strategic lithium assets in key regions of North and South America, we have hedged ourselves geopolitically to meet the growing demand driven by electric vehicles and renewable-energy storage.”
American Salars' Nevada project provides a potential tariff-free source of lithium for US buyers. The company has already seen a surge of interest in securing local supply as manufacturers look to derisk exposure to potential import restrictions.
The firm is also betting on geopolitical tailwinds for its South American assets. Horsley pointed to recent signals that the US and Argentina may formalise a trade pact — a move that could benefit the company's flagship Pocitos lithium brine project in Argentina’s Lithium Triangle.
“If the US pivots to a more Western-aligned supply chain, our Pocitos asset becomes strategically critical,” Horsley said.
Beyond its Nevada and Argentina holdings, American Salars has built a geographically diverse lithium portfolio with projects in Canada and Brazil. In Quebec, the company is exploring properties near Sayona Mining’s Tansim project. In Brazil’s Ceará region, its Jaguaribe project has returned high-grade lithium samples of up to 3.72% lithium oxide, alongside rare earth elements including cesium and tantalum.
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