The White House has announced decisions to impose tariffs on a range of Chinese imports, including semiconductors, batteries, solar cells and key minerals. In energy storage batteries, tariffs rose to 25% from the previous 7.5%. However, it is slightly gratifying that the tariff measure will be formally implemented in 2026, temporarily reducing the risks in the short term. The news has attracted great attention and discussion worldwide.

The energy storage battery industry is facing a series of challenges and opportunities. According to Feng Disheng, senior analyst of energy storage at the New energy division of Shanghai Nonferrous Metals Network (SMM), in the current international trade environment, Chinese energy storage battery companies are actively seeking to build related production capacity overseas to reduce their dependence on the US market. Still, outside China, countries like Japan and South Korea are also supplying some energy storage battery products to the US market, thus diverting some of their dependence on Chinese energy storage batteries.
However, it is difficult to determine whether the tariff policy will continue after 2026 and how the details will be implemented. Mr Feng noted that the Biden team’s tariff policy is more based on election needs, so the future of the policy remains uncertain after this year’s campaign.
In this case of uncertainty, Chinese energy storage battery companies need to predict and respond to multiple scenarios. On the one hand, actively seek opportunities in the domestic market, strengthen cooperation with the domestic new energy supply chain and demand side, improve the quality and competitiveness of products to meet the demand of the domestic market; on the other hand, continue to strengthen cooperation with other countries, expand export markets and reduce dependence on the American market. At the same time, increase investment in technological innovation and research and development to promote the progress of energy storage battery technology and the expansion of application fields.

According to Everbright Securities, the tariff increase is expected from 2026 to stimulate the rapid development of the energy storage industry in the United States, and the number of energy storage systems is expected to surge in 2024 and 2025. According to the Zhongguancun Energy Storage Industry Technology Alliance (CNESA), China, Europe and the United States are the three major forces in the global energy storage market. In particular, the North American energy storage market, the world’s second largest energy storage market, is expected to exceed 200 GWh by 2030.
Although the North American energy storage market in 2023 may be affected by some factors, such as federal interest rate hikes and extending the delivery cycle of energy storage components, leading to slower demand growth. However, in the long term, the North American energy storage market will continue to grow rapidly due to the impact of ITC subsidy incentives, energy transition and market drive.

Chinese enterprises have a strong market competitiveness in the global energy storage battery market, which cannot be ignored. Meanwhile, China’s shipments of energy-storage lithium batteries are expected to account for 92 percent of the total global shipments by 2023, according to authoritative data.

As the global clean energy market continues to grow, the demand for energy storage batteries continues to grow. Chinese companies will continue to lead in the market competition and make greater contributions to the global energy transition and sustainable development. It is foreseeable that China’s energy storage battery industry will further rise and make more efforts to promote the sustainable development of clean energy.