Trump Wants 10% Of Lithium Americas — The Canadian Miner Behind The Biggest Lithium Mine In The Western Hemisphere

US-Canada business news — the Trump administration calls the energy transition a “green new scam,” but that isn’t stopping it from seeking up to 10 per cent of Lithium Americas, the Canadian company behind what would be the largest lithium mine in the Western Hemisphere.

By Maplestime Business Desk | Winnipeg, Manitoba | September 19, 2026

Sources: Reuters, TechCrunch | Last updated: September 19, 2026

Key Takeaways

• The Trump administration is asking for as much as 10% equity in Lithium Americas in exchange for renegotiating the repayment of a $2.26 billion U.S. Department of Energy loan.
• Lithium Americas is developing the Thacker Pass mine in Nevada — first phase output could supply lithium for up to 800,000 electric vehicles per year.
• GM bought a 38% stake in the company for $625 million, securing rights to the first phase of production and 20 years of the second.
• The move follows U.S. government stakes in Intel and MP Materials — Washington is now taking equity, not just handing out grants.
• The story was first reported by Reuters; a White House official said “there’s no such thing as free money.”

The Deal — 10% Equity For A $2.26 Billion Loan Renegotiation

Here’s the arrangement on the table: Lithium Americas owes the U.S. Department of Energy’s Loan Program Office $2.26 billion. In exchange for renegotiating the repayment terms, the Trump administration wants as much as 10 per cent of the company.

“President Trump supports this project. He wants it to succeed and also be fair to taxpayers,” a White House official told Reuters, which first reported the news. “But there’s no such thing as free money.”

Let that sink in. An administration that routinely calls the energy transition the “green new scam” is now negotiating to become a part-owner of a lithium company — because the minerals are too strategically important to leave to the market alone.

Thacker Pass — The Biggest Lithium Mine In The Western Hemisphere

The asset at the centre of this is Thacker Pass, in Nevada. Lithium Americas is developing what promises to be the largest lithium mine in the Western Hemisphere.

The first phase alone would produce enough lithium to manufacture as many as 800,000 electric vehicles per year. The project’s history is a study in Washington’s whiplash: President Trump approved the permit at the tail end of his first term, and the $2.26 billion DOE loan was awarded under President Biden.

Now Trump wants equity on top.

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GM’s $625 Million Bet — 38% And Two Decades Of Supply

The automakers got here first. General Motors bought a 38% stake in Lithium Americas for $625 million, a deal that also gave the automaker the right to buy the entirety of the first phase of production — plus 20 years of the second phase.

In total, that’s enough lithium for 1.6 million EVs over the next two decades.

The Trump administration is reportedly asking GM to guarantee those purchases — even as it works to thwart automakers’ transition to electric vehicles. The contradiction is the point: Washington wants control of the minerals regardless of what it says about the cars.

A Pattern — Intel, MP Materials, And Now A Canadian Miner

This isn’t a one-off. The Lithium Americas demand is the latest in a string of negotiations that have already given the U.S. government stakes in Intel and MP Materials.

The playbook is becoming clear: instead of just subsidizing strategic industries, Washington is taking ownership. Equity stakes give the government a seat at the table — and leverage over where minerals go, who buys them, and on what terms.

For Canada, this should set off alarm bells. Lithium Americas is a Canadian company sitting on one of the most important mineral assets on the continent, and the U.S. government is moving to own a piece of it directly.

What It Means For Canada’s Critical Minerals Strategy

Canada has spent years talking about critical minerals as a national priority — the lithium, nickel, cobalt and rare earths that will power the next century of manufacturing. But talk is cheap, and Washington is writing cheques.

When the U.S. government takes a 10 per cent stake in a Canadian miner, it gains influence over decisions that shape Canada’s own resource future: where supply flows, who gets priority, and how much leverage Ottawa has in the next round of trade fights.

The question for Canada is simple: is Ottawa a player in the critical minerals game, or just the country the mines happen to be incorporated in?

Maplestime will provide updates on the Lithium Americas deal and Canada’s critical minerals strategy as announcements are made in 2026.

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Should Canada be cheering a U.S. government stake in a Canadian miner — or is this another sign Ottawa is losing control of its own critical minerals while Washington writes the rules? Tell us in the comments. And share this with every Canadian following the trade war.