Graphite electrodes are primarily used in electric arc furnace (EAF) steelmaking, serving as a crucial high-temperature conductive material. They are also widely applied in the aluminum industry, electrolytic cells, and chemical equipment as conductive and heat-resistant components. 

【Graphite】US Imposes 160% "Sky-High Tariffs" on China, Targeting Electric Vehicle Battery Lifeline

The U.S. Department of Commerce recently struck hard against China's core material for electric vehicle batteries — active anode graphite — preliminarily deciding to impose anti-dumping duties ranging from 93.5% to 102.72%. Combined with existing tariffs, the effective tax rate for some Chinese graphite products entering the U.S. market will soar to a staggering 160%. This investigation was initiated jointly by multiple U.S.-based anode material producers and is seen as a continuation of the U.S.'s intensified tariffs imposed since April on more than a dozen categories of Chinese goods such as photovoltaics, silicon, and wood products. It is widely regarded as a disguised blockade of China's key industries...

Recently, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced multiple trade measures targeting China's active anode materials, i.e., graphite products.

Actual Tariffs Reach as High as 160%

The U.S. Department of Commerce announced preliminary anti-dumping duties of 93.5% to 102.72% on graphite imported from China.
Among these, the investigated Chinese producers/exporters have an anti-dumping duty rate and cash deposit rate of 93.5%, while other Chinese producers/exporters are uniformly set at 102.72%.
The anti-dumping duties apply to anode-grade graphite materials with at least 90% carbon content by weight, including synthetic graphite, natural graphite, or their mixtures, mainly under U.S. Customs codes 2504.10.5000 and 3801.10.5000.
Furthermore, the new 93.5% anti-dumping duty is added on top of existing tariff rates, meaning the effective tariff on Chinese graphite materials will reach up to 160%. Besides anti-dumping duties, the U.S. Department of Commerce also announced a countervailing duty investigation on the aforementioned Chinese graphite products.

Specific List

Anti-dumping duty rates and list of Chinese exporters/producers subject to the U.S. tariffs.

Graphite is the only usable anode material in electric vehicle lithium-ion batteries, featuring high electrical conductivity, high stability, and low cost advantages. During battery operation, graphite adsorbs lithium ions to achieve charging and discharging, accounting for 20%-30% of the battery's weight, but its demand is more than 30 times that of lithium.
Currently, no alternative anode material has emerged. Other carbon-based materials (such as silicon) are under research but have not yet achieved commercial application.

More Than a Dozen Categories of Chinese Goods Blacklisted

China is the world's largest producer and reserve holder of graphite. According to the U.S. Geological Survey data, global graphite production was 1.6 million tons in 2023, of which China produced 1.23 million tons, accounting for 76.87%. Known natural graphite reserves amount to 78 million tons.
U.S. statistics show that in 2023, the total value of graphite imports from China to the U.S. was about $350 million; in 2024, the U.S. imported nearly 180,000 metric tons of graphite products, about two-thirds of which came from China. China supplied 59% of U.S. natural graphite and 68% of synthetic graphite demand.
This anti-dumping and countervailing duty investigation was jointly initiated by an industry alliance consisting of Anovion Technologies (Somerset, NY), Syrah Technologies LLC (Vidalia, LA), NOVONIX Anode Materials LLC (Chattanooga, TN), Epsilon Advanced Materials (Leland, NC), and SKI US, Inc. (Marietta, GA), all U.S. active anode material producers.
Notably, since April, more than a dozen Chinese goods—including photovoltaic cells, thermoplastic molded fiber products, float glass, erythritol, silicon, hardwood, softwood and decorative plywood, and low-speed personal transport vehicles—have successively been added to the U.S. Department of Commerce's updated "blacklist."
The U.S. Department of Commerce imposes anti-dumping and countervailing duties that can reach dozens to thousands of percent, effectively blocking these Chinese goods. The trade measures on graphite products are a continuation of this trend.

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