Rivian secured a large inventory of electric vehicle batteries both before and after the election of former U.S. President Donald Trump, in a move aimed at softening the potential impact of heightened auto tariffs, Bloomberg News reported on Tuesday.
The electric vehicle maker reportedly purchased an unspecified quantity of lithium iron phosphate batteries from Chinese supplier Gotion for its commercial delivery vans, the majority of which are produced for Amazon.
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Following the election, Rivian collaborated with Samsung SDI to relocate a significant volume of battery inventory from South Korea to the United States, the report said.
The advance stockpiling is intended to buffer the company against price volatility stemming from Trump’s revised tariff policy, which targets imported vehicle components.
The new plan, announced this week, walks back an initial proposal to impose a flat 25% tariff on all imported auto parts. Nonetheless, analysts anticipate the modified tariffs will still drive up vehicle production costs and, in turn, consumer prices.
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“Rivian worked with Samsung SDI to move a large amount of battery inventory to the U.S. from South Korea,” Bloomberg reported, citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter.