U.S. Department of Commerce to Place 93.5% Antidumping Tariffs on Chinese Graphite Making the Effective Tariff Rate 160%

Core Viewpoint - The U.S. Department of Commerce has preliminarily determined to impose antidumping tariffs of 93.5% on anode active material (AAM), which includes synthetic and natural graphite imports from China, resulting in an effective tariff rate of 160% when combined with existing tariffs [1][2]. Company Summary - NOVONIX Limited is positioned to enhance domestic supply chains for critical minerals, particularly synthetic graphite, in North America, aligning with its business strategy and customer diversification efforts [2]. - The company operates the most advanced synthetic graphite production facility in North America and plans to significantly increase U.S. production of this strategic mineral, thereby creating high-quality jobs [2]. - NOVONIX's Riverside facility in Chattanooga is set to be the first large-scale production site for high-performance synthetic graphite in North America, with a total production capacity exceeding 50,000 tonnes per annum (tpa) across its facilities [3]. Industry Summary - The antidumping investigation assesses whether graphite is sold at less than fair value, while the countervailing duty investigation evaluates if the Chinese government subsidizes graphite AAM production for the U.S. market [2]. - The final determinations for both the antidumping and countervailing duty investigations are expected to be released around December 5, 2025 [2].