The US is mulling tariffs of up to 721% on natural and artificial graphite active anode material (AAM) imported from China, Kallanish writes.

On Tuesday, the Department of Commerce announced its preliminary affirmative determination in the countervailing duty investigation on Chinese AAM. Companies Huzhou Kaijin New Energy Technology and Shanghai Shaosheng Knitted Sweat would be slapped with tariffs of 712% and 721%, respectively. Panasonic Corp of China and all other importers would be subject to duties of 6.5%.

Final determinations from Commerce and the International Trade Commission are scheduled for the autumn. If they are both affirmative, the tariff order will be issued in November.

Commerce is conducting an antidumping duty investigation for which it will issue a preliminary decision in July. In 2023, the US imported 84,290 tonnes worth of graphite from China, for a total value of $347 million, according to official data. 

Both petitions were put forward by a coalition called American Active Anode Material Producers, which comprises Anovion Technologies, Syrah Technologies, Novonix, Epsilon Advanced Materials and SKI US. 

“Commerce’s ruling proves what the industry has asserted all along: the Chinese government has been heavily subsidising graphite production,” comments the coalition’s spokesperson, Erik Olson. “This is one of many tools in China’s policy playbook to entrench its control of the global graphite AAM market, allowing them to manipulate prices and smother the ability of a North American graphite AAM industry to grow and develop.”

Huzhou Kaijin and Panasonic were contacted for comment and did not immediately respond. Shanghai Shaosheng Knitted Sweat could not be reached.

Separately, Canadian miner Titan Mining Corp announced the launch of construction of its natural flake graphite facility, co-located at its Empire State Mine in St. Lawrence County, New York. Commissioning is expected in the second half of the year. It will have an initial capacity to process 60,000t/year of feed from the Kilbourne Project, producing 1,000-1,200t/y of graphite concentrate, with a target capacity of 40,000t/y, which Titan says will meet nearly all of domestic demand.