The US Department of Energy intends to offer funding opportunities totaling nearly $1 billion “to advance and scale mining, processing, and manufacturing technologies across key stages of the critical minerals and materials supply chains,” it said in a statement this week. The proposed funding is meant to accelerate the US critical minerals and materials sector and reduce reliance on foreign suppliers.

One of the companies impacted by this announcement is Factorial Energy, a producer of solid-state batteries that has partnered with automotive manufacturers such as Mercedes Benz, Stellantis and Hyundai. Dr. Siyu Huang, Factorial's founder and CEO, discusses the market landscape for critical minerals in the midst of a global trade war. Dr. Huang speaks with Tim Stenovec and Carol Massar on Bloomberg Businessweek Daily.