According to a report by Bloomberg, on May 20 local time, the U.S. Department of Commerce preliminarily ruled that Chinese key battery components have received "unfair subsidies", paving the way for the imposition of countervailing tariffs later.
It was reported that on May 20 local time, the International Trade Administration of the U.S. Department of Commerce website released an announcement of the preliminary ruling on the anti-subsidy investigation of active anode materials originating from China. The announcement stated that Chinese enterprises have benefited from subsidies, with two Chinese companies having subsidy rates exceeding 700%, while other Chinese companies have subsidy rates of 6.55%.
Screenshot from the website of the International Trade Administration of the U.S. Department of Commerce
Active anode materials are key components of electric vehicle batteries, including materials such as graphite and silicon.
The report showed that one of the petitioners for the investigation was a U.S. graphite producer, who requested the investigation into whether large-scale government subsidies in China had artificially depressed prices, making it harder for them to compete.
It is understood that in December 2024, the Active Anode Materials Producers Alliance of the United States submitted a petition to federal agencies, requesting an investigation into whether Chinese companies violated anti-dumping laws. The alliance hopes to impose punitive tariffs of up to 920% on Chinese graphite.
The final ruling of this case is expected to be made later this year, independent of the broad tariffs imposed by former U.S. President Trump on trade partners, as well as planned additional tariffs on goods such as semiconductors and pharmaceuticals.
Bloomberg cited data from consulting firm Capstone LLC, stating that China produces most of the world's graphite, with the U.S. being dependent on China for 59% of its natural graphite imports and 68% of its artificial graphite imports.
In March this year, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the "Detachment from Foreign Adversary-Dependent Batteries Act," banning the Department of Homeland Security from purchasing batteries from six Chinese companies, including CATL and BYD.
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