Adding tariffs on lithium-ion batteries will affect the US energy storage market.

August 27, 2019

Adding tariffs on lithium-ion batteries will affect the US energy storage market.

 


The US media has said the truth: the tariff on lithium-ion batteries will affect the US energy storage market.

The US media said that from the previously added tariffs on solar cells, solar panels, inverters, steel, photovoltaic modules, aluminum frames and other commodities can be seen, in fact, the Trump administration levies on China-based global commodities. The tariffs affect almost every aspect of its solar supply chain.

Today, batteries are also included, more specifically lithium-ion batteries, as most other types of batteries are included in the previous tax list.

China's battery manufacturing influence covers many countries in the world. According to the data, last year, China had two-thirds of the world's lithium-ion product manufacturing capabilities for energy storage in the electric vehicle and power industries.

In June of this year, Kelly Speakes-Backman, CEO of the Energy Storage Association (ESA), issued a statement warning that the Trump administration's tariff on Chinese batteries would have an “immediate and negative” impact on energy storage deployment:

Adding tariffs will hinder US battery growth and job creation, as (signed) energy storage projects will be postponed or cancelled. Demand for clean energy is rising across the United States, but rising battery costs and other uncertainties due to tariffs will be an obstacle.

Lithium-ion batteries are also used in electric vehicles, and may also have an impact on the electric vehicle market.

US manufacturers have not been spared

The US media has said the truth: the tariff on lithium-ion batteries will affect the US energy storage market.

Tesla Nevada Gigafactory Factory

In theory, increasing tariffs on Chinese lithium-ion batteries should give Tesla a leading US battery manufacturer a competitive advantage. After all, the US battery industry has been seeking development and breakthroughs in an attempt to disrupt Asian battery monopolies. However, the European Space Agency pointed out that the previous Section 301 also imposed tariffs on imports of some lithium, cobalt and graphite. It is to be understood that lithium, cobalt and graphite are the main raw materials for lithium-ion batteries, and China supplies the vast majority of the world. Chemical lithium and cobalt and all spherical graphite production, Trump's move directly hindered the subsequent development of some battery companies directly from the source. And it turns out that these tariffs have undoubtedly affected Tesla's Gigafactory plant in Nevada and a few other US battery manufacturing companies.

It seems that Trump’s tariff on lithium-ion batteries is also unpopular.