India restricts exports of lithium-ion battery black mass

India's Directorate General of Foreign Trade has moved lithium-ion battery black mass from the free export category to the restricted category with immediate effect, to keep the battery recycling feedstock at home.

Why it matters: Black mass carries recoverable lithium, cobalt, nickel and manganese, and India's recyclers have been short of feedstock while domestically produced material was exported, so the restriction is a critical minerals supply measure aimed at the recycling end of the chain.

Data as of Press Information Bureau release of November 11, 2026, in Hindi, read in full via the estate browser route and translated in this run; every figure and the notification number are from that release. Developing item.

India’s Directorate General of Foreign Trade changed the export policy for lithium-ion battery black mass, ITC (HS) code 85491400, from free to restricted with immediate effect and until further orders, under Notification No. 49/2026-27 issued on November 10, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry said. Black mass is the powder obtained by shredding and grinding end-of-life lithium-ion batteries and battery manufacturing waste, and it contains recoverable lithium, cobalt, nickel and manganese.

The ministry said India’s battery recycling and refining capacity has grown but is underused for lack of feedstock, while black mass produced in India is exported and some domestic recycling units have had to import material instead. Keeping the material at home is meant to raise capacity use, increase domestic recovery of critical minerals and cut import dependence, and it complements the government’s 1,500 crore rupee incentive scheme for critical mineral recycling under the National Critical Mineral Mission, approved in September 2025.

India restricts exports of lithium-ion battery black mass

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