China expertise needed

Daniel, who owns battery factories in Texas and California and has more than 30 years of experience in the industry, believes in his sector the tariffs could end up hurting the US more than China.

If the US intends to make all its batteries domestically, it has to buy equipment and some specialty formulas from China because the US simply doesn't yet have the technology, said Daniel, who requested his last name be withheld.

"We are at least 10 years behind China in battery technology," he said.

China has the best battery manufacturing equipment, specialty formulas, and specialty additives, for a variety of cells, due to its large number of battery factories and decades of development, he said, adding China's industry was highly developed and automated.

A large percentage of batteries used in electrical vehicles in the US are from China because its production capacity can't be replaced by any other country, he said.