On Thursday, the US government announced to consider the taxation of customs duties on graphite from China, used for the manufacture of batteries, in order to compensate for production support measures set up by Beijing.
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According to documents from the Commerce Department, this new specific customs tax could affect around 70 Chinese companies, which will be added a surcharge of 93.5% to their products.
These companies provide large groups, such as the American Tesla, the Samsung and LG Koreans or the Japanese Panasonic, for the manufacture of their batteries.
It is for the moment a preliminary investigation, conducted by the American Committee on International Trade (ITC), after the filing of an appeal by a sectoral producer association as well as by half a dozen companies established in five American states.
The investigation should extend until December 5, to determine if the Chinese companies referred to receives many subsidies from the Chinese government.
In total, this includes nearly $ 350 million in products imported in 2023, according to data from the Commerce Department.
If they become reality, these customs duties would be added to the 30% imposed since mid-May on all Chinese products entering the United States.
This is the second time that the American government has planned to use specific customs duties to correct what it considers to be anti -competitive practices in Beijing.
At the end of April, he had thus planned to tax up to 3521% solar panels from Southeast Asia, again accusing the companies concerned, often subsidiaries of Chinese groups, of receiving subsidies from China.
The procedure on this file has not yet come to an end.
