If Tesla has got troubles with supply chain, everyone should worry

Company is struggling to procure a raw material only available in China, for a battery cell that it's trying to develop in-house.

Tesla Inc. so far has managed to deftly navigate the supply chain crisis and U.S.–China trade tensions that have hamstrung manufacturers globally. The EV maker’s latest worries show it’s about to get tougher for companies that hoped the worst was behind them.

Joining a host of other auto suppliers looking for tariff exclusions on various parts, Elon Musk’s company submitted three comments to the U.S. Trade Representative supporting waivers on essential raw materials it needs to import from China. In them, Tesla says “natural graphite is currently not available in the specifications nor capacity outside of its current suppliers and