Demand for electric-vehicle battery anode materials outside China is rising, but supply remains concentrated among Chinese companies, the article said. Chinese firms with graphite processing capacity are competing on costs and yields for synthetic graphite and expanding volumes and customers beyond China. South Korean suppliers have not increased their share even in growing non-China markets. The article said cost and yield are likely to become key competitive benchmarks in Europe as EU rules develop, while recognition of Korea-made materials under FTA provisions remains uncertain.

Korean battery cell makers are expected to post third-quarter operating profit above market forecasts, helped by rising energy storage system shipments in North America that increase production subsidies under AMPC and by one-off income such as customer compensation. Industry expectations are for profits to rise from the previous quarter despite weak European EV battery shipments and a lower exchange rate. The pace of recovery may differ by company depending on when North American ESS lines start operating.