London-listed Blencowe Resources has highlighted the impact on the company’s Orom-Cross project, in Uganda, of the recent determination by the US Department of Commerce imposing aggregate antidumping and countervailing duties (AD/CVD) of about 160% on graphite active anode material (AAM) imports from China.

These duties are subject to a final affirmative determination by the US International Trade Commission, expected in March.

The measures, if affirmed, are expected to apply for a minimum period of five years and are in addition to existing US trade tariffs.

It is expected to materially increase the landed cost of Chinese-origin graphite AAM into the US, subject to final determination, Blencowe points out.

The company notes that the imposition of AD/CVD measures at this scale reinforces the accelerating policy-driven transition toward secure, diversified, non-China graphite supply chains across both battery and advanced industrial markets.

“As Western governments seek to support domestic and allied processing capacity, the importance of scalable, high-quality upstream graphite feedstock outside China becomes increasingly strategic,” the company highlights in a statement.

Blencowe’s Orom-Cross project is advancing as a large-scale, long-life graphite development positioned to support this evolving supply landscape, the company posits.

The ability to supply high-quality graphite feedstock suitable for multiple advanced industrial and strategic applications is central to the project’s strategic positioning, Blencowe avers.

Ongoing resource definition at the Iyan and Beehive deposits is building toward updated Joint Ore Reserves Committee (Jorc) resource statements designed to support long-term development planning.

The company says these developments underpin the long-term development case for Orom-Cross across multiple high-value end markets.

Blencowe is progressing funding and offtake discussions in parallel with continued resource growth and technical advancement.

The company says the strengthening policy backdrop in the US and other Western jurisdictions provides additional support for the development of non-China graphite supply chains and reinforces the long-term relevance of Orom-Cross.

Further assay results from Iyan and Beehive are expected to be reported progressively, building toward updated Jorc resource statements and continued advancement of the project toward development.

“The scale of the US AD/CVD measures highlights the structural realignment now under way in the graphite market. As trade policy reshapes supply chain economics, secure upstream graphite supply outside China becomes increasingly critical.

“Orom-Cross is being developed as a scalable, long-life graphite platform capable of supporting both battery and advanced industrial applications. As we continue to expand the resource base and progress funding discussions, the broader policy environment is moving firmly in favour of projects such as ours,” Blencowe executive chairperson Cameron Pearce says.