Rivian said to have built reserve of batteries ahead of tariffs
Catch up on the top industries and stocks that were impacted, or were predicted to be impacted, by the comments, actions and policies of President Donald Trump with this daily recap compiled by The Fly:
UNIVERSAL VACCINE PROJECT:
The Trump administration is shifting away from funding next-generation COVID-19 vaccines and are instead investing $500M in a vaccine project involving producing vaccines from chemically inactivated whole viruses, Nidhi Subbaraman and Liz Essley Whyte of The Wall Street Journal report. The technique is a throwback to how flu vaccines were made decades ago. The goal of the project is to make “universal” vaccines that protect against multiple strains of the virus at once. Companies who make COVID-19 vaccines include Pfizer (PFE), BioNTech (BNTX), and Moderna (MRNA).
RESERVE AHEAD OF TARIFFS:
Rivian Automotive (RIVN) built a reserve of electric-vehicle batteries from Asia ahead of President Trump’s tariffs, Ed Ludlow of Bloomberg reports, citing people familiar with the matter. Rivian directly acquired a supply of lithium iron phosphate cells from China’s Gotion High-Tech Co. late last year, ahead of the election, sources told Bloomberg. More recently, the company worked with cell supplier Samsung SDI to move a large amount of battery inventory to the U.S. from South Korea, the people added.
CONTINUAL TALKS:
In the company’s Q1 letter to shareholders, General Motors’ (GM) CEO Mary Barra said the company has had “continual discussions” with the President and his team since before the inauguration. Barra said that “They have invested the time to understand what it takes to be successful in this capital-intensive and highly competitive global industry, how we can work together to grow American manufacturing, and the importance of companies like GM to communities across the country.”
PRODUCTION MOVE:
Samsung (SSNLF) is considering moving production of some of its TVs and home appliances as it looks to mitigate the impact of tariffs imposed by the Trump administration, Nikkei Asia’s Kim Jaewon reports. Samsung did not disclose where the production might be shifted, according to the report.
COOPERATION PACT:
U.S. and Ukraine have reached an agreement on Ukraine’s natural resources, sought by Ukraine President Zelensky to secure U.S. backing in his country’s ceasefire negotiations with Russia, Bloomberg’s Daniel Flatley and Natalia Drozdiak report. The pact is expected to allow U.S. privileged access to Ukraine’s natural resources that include aluminum, graphite, and natural gas, the report states.
—
Originally Posted May 1, 2025 – Trump Trade: RFK Jr. invests $500M in universal vaccine project
Disclosure: Interactive Brokers Third Party
Information posted on IBKR Campus that is provided by third-parties does NOT constitute a recommendation that you should contract for the services of that third party. Third-party participants who contribute to IBKR Campus are independent of Interactive Brokers and Interactive Brokers does not make any representations or warranties concerning the services offered, their past or future performance, or the accuracy of the information provided by the third party. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.
This material is from The Fly and is being posted with its permission. The views expressed in this material are solely those of the author and/or The Fly and Interactive Brokers is not endorsing or recommending any investment or trading discussed in the material. This material is not and should not be construed as an offer to buy or sell any security. It should not be construed as research or investment advice or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold any security or commodity. This material does not and is not intended to take into account the particular financial conditions, investment objectives or requirements of individual customers. Before acting on this material, you should consider whether it is suitable for your particular circumstances and, as necessary, seek professional advice.
Disclosure: Futures Trading
Futures are not suitable for all investors. The amount you may lose may be greater than your initial investment. Before trading futures, please read the CFTC Risk Disclosure. A copy and additional information are available at the Warnings and Disclosures section of your local Interactive Brokers website.
Join The Conversation
If you have a general question, it may already be covered in our FAQs page. go to: IBKR Ireland FAQs or IBKR U.K. FAQs. If you have an account-specific question or concern, please reach out to Client Services: IBKR Ireland or IBKR U.K..
Visit IBKR U.K. Open an IBKR U.K. Account