Pentagon Scraps $300 Million Lithium Tender for Defense Stockpile

The U.S. Department of Defense has canceled a tender to buy up to $300 million worth of lithium carbonate for the national strategic stockpile in another blow to the Administration looking to secure critical minerals for the defense and other strategic industries. DoD’s Defense Logistics Agency, which manages the end-to-end defense supply chain from raw materials to end-user disposition, canceled the solicitation in its entirety, effective August 3, 2026. The deadline for bids was extended twice, first from July 17 to July 30, and then from…