Introduction

On March 5, a U.S. domestic producer filed a petition with the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) and the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) seeking the imposition of antidumping duties (AD) and countervailing duties (CVD) on imports of lithium hexafluorophosphate from China (the “subject merchandise”).

The period of investigation for the AD investigation at the DOC covers subject merchandise imported from July 1 to Dec. 31, 2025.

The period of investigation for the CVD investigation at the DOC covers subject merchandise imported from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2025.

The domestic producer that filed the petition is Mexichem Fluor Inc. dba Orbia Fluor & Energy Materials (the “Petitioner”).

Under U.S. law, a domestic industry may petition the U.S. government to initiate AD or CVD investigations into imports alleged to injure the domestic industry. In an AD investigation, DOC determines whether subject imports are sold in the U.S. at less than fair value (i.e., dumped), while in a CVD investigation, DOC determines whether foreign producers and/or exporters of subject imports received countervailable subsidies. If DOC makes affirmative determinations and the ITC further finds material injury or threat thereof by reason of the subject imports, or, as claimed here, that the establishment of the domestic industry is being material retarded by reason of subject imports, additional duties may be imposed to offset the dumping or subsidization.

If DOC and the ITC both issue affirmative preliminary determinations, U.S. importers may be required to post cash deposits equal to the estimated AD and CVD duties on all subject imports entered into the United States on or after the dates DOC publishes its preliminary determinations in the Federal Register. Such duties may be imposed 90 days prior to the date of publication of the preliminary determinations if both the DOC and ITC make affirmative critical circumstances determinations. The preliminary AD and CVD rates may be revised or eliminated in the final phase of the DOC proceeding, particularly where foreign producers/exporters fully participate in the investigation.

Scope

The following describes the imported merchandise that is included within the scope of these investigations:

The merchandise covered by this investigation is Lithium Hexafluorophosphate (LiPF₆), an inorganic lithium compound with Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) registry number 21324-40-3 and the chemical formula LiPF₆.

Subject merchandise includes LiPF₆ in any form, including LiPF₆ in a solid form such as a powder or crystal; LiPF₆ in a diluted liquid form where the LiPF₆ has been dissolved in one or more organic solvents; and LiPF₆ dissolved in multi-component electrolyte formulations that may also contain various salts, solvents, and/or additives, provided that, for each of these forms, the combined LiPF₆ component comprises more than 5 percent (5 wt%) of the total weight of the mixture. For any such formulations, only the LiPF₆ component of the mixture is covered by the scope of the investigation.

The country of origin of any LiPF₆ in a solvent or electrolyte formulation is determined by the country in which the underlying LiPF₆ is produced.

LiPF₆ is classified under Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS) subheading 2826.90.9010. Subject merchandise, including the abovementioned formulations, may also be classified under HTSUS subheadings 2826.90.9090, 3824.91.0000, and 3824.99.9397. The HTSUS subheadings and CAS registry number are provided for convenience and customs purposes only. The written description of the scope of the investigation is dispositive.

Foreign Producers/Exporters and U.S. Importers of Subject Merchandise

A list of foreign producers and exporters of subject merchandise, as identified in the petition, is provided in Attachment I.

A list of U.S. importers of subject merchandise, as identified in the petition, is provided in Attachment II.

Alleged Dumping Margins and Subsidy Rates

Petitioners allege dumping margins of 145.27 – 200.50 percent for imports of subject merchandise.

Petitioners also allege that Chinese producers received numerous countervailable subsidies including government loans, grants, tax reductions, and subsidized material inputs used in the production of the subject merchandise.

DOC generally assigns duties at the margins and rates alleged by the petitioners to foreign producers and exporters that fail to participate and cooperate during the investigations.

Potential Trade Impact

According to the petition, U.S. imports of subject merchandise totaled $261.60 million in 2025.

Estimated Schedule of AD/CVD Investigations

3/5/2026	Petitions Filed
4/20/2026	ITC Preliminary Injury Determination
5/29/2026	DOC Preliminary CVD Determination (un-extended)
8/3/2026		DOC Preliminary CVD Determination (fully extended)
8/12/2026	DOC Preliminary AD Determination (un-extended)
10/1/2026		DOC Preliminary AD Determination (fully extended)
8/12/2026	DOC Final CVD Determination (un-extended)
2/22/2027		DOC Final CVD Determination (fully extended)
11/2/2026	DOC Final AD Determination (un-extended)
2/22/2027		DOC Final AD Determination (fully extended)
12/17/2026	ITC Final Injury Determination (un-extended)
4/8/2027		ITC Final Injury Determination (fully extended)
12/31/2026	AD and CVD Orders Published (un-extended)
4/22/2027		AD and CVD Orders Published (fully extended)

Foreign producers/exporters and U.S. importers or purchasers of subject merchandise should contact Taft’s International Trade practice with any questions about this update.