Driving Change: How are EVs reshaping China’s economic relationship with Latin America?

Join the CSIS Americas Program and Trustee Chair in Chinese Business and Economics for an event centered around the launch of a new brief on China’s investment strategy in Latin America’s electric vehicle (EV) supply chains, followed by a conversation with experts Gregor Sebastian (Rhodium Group) and Henry Sanderson (Benchmark Mineral Intelligence) on the implications for global policymakers and industry.

China has become a dominant player in global EV supply chains, particularly in Latin America, where the region’s vast reserves of lithium, copper, and other minerals are essential in batteries and manufacturing. Chinese companies have significantly ramped up their investments in mining operations, as well as in refining and vehicle assembly, changing Beijing’s economic engagement with local governments and companies. Chinese exports of EVs and investment in the value chain in Latin America are not only supporting China’s rapidly growing EV industry but could cement the country’s position as a leading provider of cleantech globally. This event will focus on the changing nature of Chinese investment in the region, and what this tells us about Latin America’s economic future, environmental sustainability, and its movement up the supply chain.