Central Enterprises Introduce! China’s First Batch of Imported Recycled Black Powder Materials for Lithium Batteries Cleared Customs

According to information from China Resources Recycling Group (hereinafter referred to as China Resources Recycling), on August 15, 20 tons of recycled black powder raw materials for lithium-ion batteries, introduced from overseas by China Resources Recycling's subsidiary Zihuan Green Investment International Company, arrived in Ningbo and successfully passed customs inspection. This marks the first batch of imported recycled black powder raw materials for lithium-ion batteries in China since the official implementation of the "Announcement on Regulating the Import Management of Recycled Black Powder Raw Materials for Lithium-ion Batteries and Recycled Steel Raw Materials," representing an important step forward in promoting the recycling and utilization of renewable resources.

According to the information, black mass is derived from lithium-ion battery waste through processes such as discharge, dismantling, pyrolysis, crushing, and separation. It is a black or dark gray powder composed of valuable components like lithium, nickel, and cobalt. The richness of valuable metal resources such as lithium, nickel, and cobalt in black mass is much higher than that in raw ores. Importing recycled black mass materials is beneficial for expanding supply channels, reducing excessive dependence on and exploitation of raw ores, and promoting carbon emission reduction and ecological protection.

On June 9 this year, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, together with the General Administration of Customs, the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Commerce, and the State Administration for Market Regulation, jointly issued the "Announcement on Matters Concerning the Regulation of the Import Management of Recycled Black Mass Materials for Lithium-ion Batteries and Recycled Steel Raw Materials," which will take effect on August 1. The announcement clearly states that recycled black mass materials for lithium-ion batteries that meet the relevant requirements are not classified as solid waste and may be freely imported.

It is reported that China Resources and Environment was officially established in Tianjin on October 18, 2024, with a registered capital of 10 billion yuan. It is the 98th state-owned enterprise in China and the country's first state-owned enterprise engaged in resource recycling. Shareholder information of China Resources and Environment shows that the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council, China Baowu Steel Group Corporation Limited, China Petrochemical Corporation, and China Resources (Holdings) Co., Ltd. each hold 20% of the shares, while Aluminum Corporation of China Limited and China Minmetals Corporation each hold 10%.

As a "national team" in the field of circular economy, China Zihuan is accelerating its layout in the recycling business sectors such as power batteries, non-ferrous metals, new energy devices, and electronic appliances. The company is focusing on strengthening the collaborative efforts of upstream and downstream enterprises in the industrial chain, connecting the entire chain of resource recovery, cascade utilization, disassembly, processing, and reuse. It is speeding up the establishment of a national, functional resource recycling and reuse platform to reduce dependence on virgin resources and promote the high-end, intelligent, and green development of the industry.