Rivian’s reportedly sitting on a stockpile of tariff-free batteries

Before and after Donald Trump’s election, Rivian took strategic steps to mitigate the impact of the president’s tariffs by stockpiling batteries for its trucks, SUVs, and commercial vans, as reported by Bloomberg News.

Prior to the election, Rivian purchased lithium iron phosphate batteries from Chinese company Gotion for its delivery vans, particularly those produced for Amazon. Following the election (although the exact timing is unclear), Rivian collaborated with Samsung SDI to transfer a significant amount of battery inventory from South Korea to the U.S., according to Bloomberg.

These stockpiles are aimed at alleviating the pricing challenges brought about by Trump’s auto tariffs, which impact components imported by car manufacturers for use in vehicles. While Trump recently adjusted these tariffs to provide some relief from his initial plan of a 25% across-the-board tax on imported parts, the revised tariff structure is still expected to result in price increases for new cars.