Samsung SDI and SK On will see battery margins fall as Chinese export controls raise input costs.
China’s new licensing restrictions are set to tighten rare earths and graphite anode materials exports, both critical inputs for battery cells. Korean battery makers remain heavily reliant on Chinese graphite, leaving them exposed to higher costs and weaker short-term profits. POSCO Future M, South Korea’s only producer of non-Chinese graphite anodes stands to benefit as battery makers will shift away from China.
China’s new licensing restrictions are set to tighten rare earths and graphite anode materials exports, both critical inputs for battery cells. Korean battery makers remain heavily reliant on Chinese graphite, leaving them exposed to higher costs and weaker short-term profits. POSCO Future M, South Korea’s only producer of non-Chinese graphite anodes stands to benefit as battery makers will shift away from China.