US hikes tariffs to further isolate China from its EV supply chain ambitions

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The US on Tuesday imposed tariff increases on electric vehicle and lithium ion battery imports from China and also introduced new duties on natural graphite, permanent magnets and certain other critical minerals imports.

The White House said the steep tariffs would be applicable on imports worth $18 billion and are aimed at curbing China’s “unfair trade practices” and “artificially low-priced” exports from flooding its market.

The move follows the US Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) that was signed into law by President Joe Biden in August 2022 and was aimed at accelerating the country’s electric vehicle battery supply chain while lowering reliance on China.

China dominates nearly every aspect of the electric vehicle and battery supply chain. Just last year, 85% of the global cell supplies came from China, according to the Benchmark Lithium Ion Battery Database.

What do the tariffs mean for battery production?

Starting this year the US is increasing the tariff rate on lithium ion batteries and battery parts to 25% from 7.5% earlier. For non-electric vehicle lithium ion batteries a tariff of 25% will be introduced in 2026.

The move will likely lead to the US having even greater reliance on South Korean and Japanese manufacturers to plug its supply chain gap.

US automakers could lose access to imports of low cost Chinese lithium iron phosphate batteries (LFP) cells until South Korean producers can ramp up production. China currently produces nearly all of the world’s LFP cells and about half of that supply comes from CATL alone, according to the Benchmark Lithium ion Battery Database.

In response to the tariffs, Chinese battery makers are likely to focus on increasing exports to other markets such as Europe and Southeast Asia.

Why does the US want to hike EV tariffs?

The Biden administration said starting this year it will impose a four fold increase in the additional duties on electric vehicle imports from China in addition to the 2.5% standard car tariff. The overall tariff will increase to 102.5% from 27.5%.

“Biden wants to protect the US automotive industry, which is politically a very important sector amid an election year,” said Bryan Bille, policy analyst with Benchmark.

However, the US accounted for less than 1% of China’s EV exports last year.

Why has natural graphite been added to the list of tariffs?

Beginning in 2026 the US will apply a tariff of 25% on Chinese natural graphite imports, amove aimed at reining in China’s near-monopoly in the graphite used for making batteries for electric vehicles and shows that it intends to diversify anode supplies away from China.

US graphite policy has been under pressure from domestic producers who want protection from lower cost Chinese supply, and downstream manufacturers who rely on access to Chinese graphite production.

However, Benchmark analysis shows that the current ex-China flake graphite supply is insufficient to meet the global demand for graphite.

The tariffs are likely to accelerate the ex-China natural graphite build out that has emerged in recent years.

What other critical raw materials are set to join the tariff list?

The Biden administration has also proposed the inclusion of “certain critical materials” to the tariff list, which is yet to be finalised. Tariffs of 25% will be introduced starting this year for certain critical minerals.

What are the implications for the rare earth to permanent magnet supply chain?

Permanent magnets will draw a tariff of 25% from 2026 onwards.

“If the market outside of China is set to grow, policies like this are the right step in ensuring the build out of a diversified supply chain,” said Daan de Jonge, product director, at Benchmark.

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Government policies for the energy transition will be centre stage at Giga USA 2024 in Washington on June 11-13.

Join Benchmark and leaders from government, industry and finance in 4 weeks’ time – secure your tickets here.