China's lithium hexafluorophosphate industry successfully prevented the US "double anti" investigation before filing a case

On April 15, 2026 Beijing time, the website of the US Department of Commerce announced that the plaintiff has officially withdrawn the lawsuit. This means that the anti-dumping and anti subsidy investigations originally planned by the United States against China's lithium hexafluorophosphate products were terminated before being filed. This is the first case in nearly 20 years that the United States has launched a "double anti" investigation against Chinese products, which ended with our side's complete victory before being filed.

On March 5, 2026, Mexichem Fluor Inc. (dba Orbia Fluor&Energy Materials) submitted an application to the US Department of Commerce and the US International Trade Commission to initiate anti-dumping and countervailing investigations into lithium hexafluorophosphate products from China. Lithium hexafluorophosphate is a key electrolyte material for lithium-ion batteries and is crucial for the safety of China's new energy industry chain. Once the US initiates a case, it will directly impact the export interests of relevant Chinese enterprises and even the global market layout.

Quick response: In the face of sudden trade frictions, the government, associations, enterprises, and law associations worked together. Under the guidance of the Trade Relief Investigation Bureau of the Ministry of Commerce and the support of local commerce authorities, the China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Minmetals and Chemicals acted quickly and immediately joined forces with the China Inorganic Salt Industry Association and the China Battery Industry Association to urgently convene a case analysis meeting with domestic backbone enterprises. The meeting drew on valuable experience from successfully responding to the "double reverse" case of negative electrode materials in the United States. The attending companies unanimously expressed their willingness to actively respond to the lawsuit and resolutely safeguard industry interests and national reputation.

Precise breakthrough: Seize key nodes to advance response work. On March 31st, the US Department of Commerce issued a notice in the Federal Register, deciding to postpone the filing of this case for 20 days. This window period has provided us with valuable opportunities. Our legal representative, based on a thorough investigation of the prosecution's background, has a keen judgment that it is highly likely to prevent the case from being established. Under the overall coordination of the Chamber of Commerce, our legal representative conducted in-depth research and assessment of the plaintiff's subject qualifications and the compliance of the investigation application, accurately identifying key breakthroughs in the case. Subsequently, the Chamber of Commerce took the lead in coordinating the efficient cooperation between the enterprise and the legal team, quickly collecting and organizing relevant evidence materials, submitting comments and opinions to the US Department of Commerce in a timely manner, focusing on raising clear questions about the plaintiff's subject qualifications and the rationality of the investigation application, fully clarifying our industry position. In the end, the plaintiff was forced to withdraw the application after unilateral discussions with the US Department of Commerce and comprehensive evaluation of various factors.

Significant achievements: Successfully resolving industry crises before filing the case. The success of this response not only saved the company huge litigation costs, eliminated the uncertainty brought by trade remedy investigations to the external demand market, avoided export obstacles, and ensured the stability of the overseas market for lithium hexafluorophosphate enterprises. It is conducive to the continued improvement of China's lithium hexafluorophosphate industry's international competitiveness and breaks the tradition of the United States' "double anti" investigations against China in the past 20 years. It provides valuable practical experience for China's relevant industries to prevent and resolve risks of international trade remedy investigations before filing, safeguard industry development rights and interests, and provide reference value.