India prohibits exports of unsorted battery black mass

India’s Directorate General of Foreign Trade has prohibited exports of a defined category of unsorted battery waste and scrap, including lithium-ion battery black mass, to keep the material available for domestic recycling and refining. The restriction took effect immediately and will remain in force until further orders, the agency said in a notification issued November 10.

The rule covers waste and scrap of primary cells, primary batteries and electric accumulators, including spent batteries, under ITC HS code 85491400. It applies to unsorted material that does not contain lead, cadmium or mercury. The export policy for this category changed from “free” to “prohibited”; the notification also says transitional arrangements under paragraph 1.05 of the Foreign Trade Policy, 2023, apply.

Black mass is a powder produced by shredding end-of-life lithium-ion batteries and battery-manufacturing waste. The Commerce Ministry says it contains recoverable lithium, cobalt, nickel and manganese. These minerals can be recovered for use in batteries and other applications, making black mass a source of feedstock for recycling and refining.

The ministry says domestic recycling and refining...