Battery anode AD/CVD case moves forward, threatening to double U.S. battery costs

The United States International Trade Commission has affirmed it will move forward with antidumping and countervailing duty investigations, which may lead to tariffs as high as 920% on a critical battery material.
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The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) has made affirmative determinations in its preliminary phase antidumping and countervailing duty (AD/CVD) investigations concerning active anode material from China.

Under AD/CVD investigations, ITC determines whether a U.S. industry is “materially injured or is threatened with material injury, or whether the establishment of an industry is materially retarded, by reason of dumped or subsidized imports.” The preliminary finding on January 31 affirmed potential material retardation of the U.S. active anode industry due to dumped products for China.

The preliminary keeps the door open for the Department of Commerce to impose tariffs as high as 920% on imported critical materials used in the manufacturing of lithium-ion batteries.

An industry note from Roth Capital Partners indicated that such a tariff could have “disruptive, far-reaching impacts.” The petition covers active anode material whether it’s imported to the U.S. separately, in a compound or in a battery.

“We believe the anode typically represents ~10-15% of the cost of a battery, or ~$15/kWh for a DC block priced at $120/kWh,” said Justin Clare, Roth Capital Partners in the industry note. “If a 900% tariff were assessed on the anode, we estimate the incremental cost could be ~$135/kWh, representing a ~125% increase in the DC-block to ~$255/kWh.”

A Department of Commerce preliminary antidumping determination is scheduled for May 26, 2025 and a preliminary countervailing determination is set for March 12, 2025.

Written by

  • Ryan joined pv magazine in 2021, bringing experience from a top residential solar installer and a U.S.-based inverter manufacturer. He holds a Master of Energy and Environmental Management degree at the University of Connecticut and a degree in Management with a certification in Sustainable Business Practices from the Isenberg School of Management at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

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