September 20, 2025: The North American lead battery industry is thriving, but a deficit in locally available materials means there is still a reliance on imports, according to Battery Council International.
The warning comes as the US government is calling for lead be added to the nation’s list of critical minerals, as Batteries International earlier had reported.
BCI president and executive director Roger Miksad said the trade body is proud of the lead battery industry’s recycling record and closed-loop process.
However, Miksad said there is still room for improvement. “Increased recycling capacity would keep used battery materials onshore, and reduce the need for imports of both primary or secondary lead to meet North America’s growing energy storage needs.”
According to BCI, the North American battery market sources about 90% of lead from domestic sources. The remainder, roughly 177,000 tonnes of lead, must be imported from elsewhere in the world.
Recent trade disruptions are expected to cause near-term uncertainty around imports.
However, as of the end of 2024 there remained a close partnership between lead suppliers and battery companies in the US, Mexico and Canada to service continent’s battery needs.
Outside of North America, the largest exporters to the US at present include Australia and South Korea, but when considered in the broader context of the roughly two million tonnes of lead that is required, these jurisdictions are not significant sources of overall US lead supply, BCI said.
Jordan Geist, VP of the metals division at East Penn Manufacturing, said: “There are many reasons why battery recycling capacity and lead production has not kept up with the growth in domestic battery manufacturing, including unique regulatory challenges as well as commercial concerns.”
Battery recyclers and lead producers understand the urgent need to protect US supply chains and support the nation’s future demand, Geist said.
Jeremy Furr, senior VP of strategic sourcing for Stryten Energy, said: “The US is heavily dependent on imports for a vast range of critical minerals that are essential to our economy and national security, including the lead used in batteries.”
