The Dept. of Commerce has revealed its final determinations in its antidumping (AD) and countervailing duty (CVD) investigations of active anode material (AAM) from the China. Final AD rates stayed the same as the preliminary decision, while general CVD rates increased.
Final dumping margins
| Exporters | AD rate |
| Tesla, Panasonic, Hunan Zhongke Shinzoom, Jiangxi Zichen Technology, Resonac, Shanghai Shanshan New Material | 93.5% |
| All others/China-wide entity | 102.72% |
Final subsidy rates
| Exporter/Producer | CVD rate |
| Huzhou Kaijin New Energy Technology, Shanghai Shaosheng Knitted Sweat, BTR New Material | 66.82% |
| Panasonic | 66.86% |
| All others | 66.86% |
The AD/CVD investigation was requested in December 2024 by American Active Anode Material Producers (AAAMP), a group of startup companies trying to initiate domestic production of active anode materials, a necessary component in lithium batteries used in the energy storage and EV markets. AAAMP claims that China’s dominance on AAM production has prevented the domestic market from establishing competitive operations. The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) made a preliminary affirmative determination in January 2025 that imported active anode material from China was harming the U.S. industry, and the Dept. of Commerce began calculating potential tariff amounts.
The ITC is today hosting a hearing on this case. If it releases an affirmative final decision, then these final AD/CVD rates will officially go into effect and Customs and Border Protection will begin collecting the duties.
What are battery active anode materials?
A battery needs both a cathode and anode to facilitate the flow of electric charge. During battery charging, electrons move from the positive cathode to the negative anode, and that electrical difference is what translates to stored energy. The stated “chemistry” of a battery is its active cathode materials — lithium iron phosphate (LFP) or lithium nickel manganese cobalt (NMC), for example. Active anode materials are typically carbon-based — like graphite powder or silicon oxide. The materials are mined, ground to a fine powder and then coated on the anode (usually copper foil).
AAAMP claims that it represents the only domestic manufacturers of active anode materials. Membership consists of Anovion Technologies (Georgia), Syrah Technologies (Louisiana), NOVONIX Anode Materials (Tennessee), Epsilon Advanced Materials 5060 (North Carolina) and SKI US (Georgia). Most of these companies are still considered to be in the startup stage. AAAMP claimed in its petition that the domestic AAM industry is struggling to get off the ground because of China’s oversupply.
Commerce clarified that EVs and completed battery energy storage system containers for both utility-scale and residential applications are excluded from these tariffs. But raw AAM, battery cells and battery modules are within the scope and subject to tariffs. Domestic battery manufacturers will feel the tariff burden while BESS importers will not.
