By Kwanwoo Jun

Shares of some Asia-Pacific battery-material producers rose sharply Friday, after the U.S. moved to impose hefty duties on graphite--a key component of battery anodes--imported from China.

The U.S. Commerce Department will impose preliminary anti-dumping duties of 93.5% on Chinese graphite imports, after determining the materials were unfairly subsidized, according to a statement posted online late Thursday by the American Active Anode Material Producers.

The trade group, which had complained about Chinese companies' alleged violations of U.S. anti-dumping laws, said the total effective tariff on Chinese active anode material now stands at 160%, accounting for all relevant duties imposed to date.

"Dumping is a malicious trade practice used by China to undercut competition and wield geopolitical influence," AAAMP spokesperson Erik Olson said in the statement. "It is all made possible by a concerted combination of massive subsidies and other state-sponsored policies."

Asked about Beijing's response to the graphite anti-dumping duties at a press briefing, the spokesperson for China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that was a matter for the relevant authorities.

Lin Jian then restated Beijing's stance on China-U.S. trade collaboration.

"What I want to stress here is that China-U.S. economic and trade cooperation is, by nature, mutually beneficial. We hope the U.S. will genuinely adhere to market economy principles and work to maintain the sound and stable development of China-U.S. trade relationship," the spokesperson said.

While such anti-dumping measures are primarily aimed at protecting U.S. industries, market watchers say they are also likely to benefit non-Chinese competitors abroad, as U.S. buyers seek alternative suppliers amid growing concerns over supply-chain resilience.

In South Korea, the news sparked a rally among battery-material stocks. Posco Future M, an affiliate of steelmaker Posco Holdings, jumped 20% on the day. The company, which last month claimed to have secured a China-free cathode supply chain following the completion of a new precursor plant in South Korea, led the sector's gains. Smaller producers PI Advanced Materials and L&F climbed 15% and 13%, respectively.

Shares of battery-material suppliers rose in Australia too. Syrah Resources led the charge, jumping 26%. Renascor gained 18% and Talga was 10% higher. Battery-tech firm Novonix, which operates a synthetic graphite production facility in North America, gained 16%.

"The decision today underscores the strategic importance of building a domestic supply chain for critical minerals, including synthetic graphite, in North America," Michael O'Kronley, chief executive of Novonix, said in a statement.

He said the ruling validates Novonix's business strategy and supports customers' efforts to locally source critical battery materials and components. The company plans to significantly ramp up U.S. production, he added.

In a post on X, Renascor said the U.S. move may represent the strongest support yet for non-China supply chains for graphite and anode materials.

-Jiahui Huang contributed to this article.

Write to Kwanwoo Jun at kwanwoo.jun@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

July 18, 2025 04:54 ET (08:54 GMT)

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