Asahi Kasei and Toyota Tsusho have entered a strategic partnership to secure the supply of wet-process lithium-ion battery separators in North America. The companies’ U.S. subsidiaries—Asahi Kasei Battery Separator America, LLC (AKBSA) and Toyota Tsusho America, Inc. (TAI)—have signed a capacity rights agreement under which AKBSA will supply its Hipore™ separator to TAI.
Under the agreement, TAI will receive a preferential share of AKBSA’s production output. Shipments are scheduled to begin in mid-2027 from a new coating line now under construction at AKBSA’s Charlotte, North Carolina, plant. By aligning production capacity with anticipated demand, Asahi Kasei aims to mitigate market fluctuations and maintain high utilization rates at its facilities. Meanwhile, Toyota Tsusho secures a steady domestic supply of separators as it builds an automotive battery value chain in North America.
Combining Asahi Kasei’s expertise in functional materials with Toyota Tsusho’s mobility network is expected to accelerate the introduction of high-performance wet-process separators into the region’s battery market. This collaboration supports the manufacture of electric vehicles with enhanced performance characteristics.
“This alliance fits perfectly with Asahi Kasei’s global growth strategy to build and strengthen a supply chain in North America with our partners and to capture medium- to long-term growth opportunities in the electrified vehicle market,” said Ryu Taniguchi, Lead Executive Officer of Asahi Kasei and responsible for the company’s separator business. “As a supplier of high-quality LIB separator, in partnership with Toyota Tsusho we will build an ecosystem that supports electrification in North America and leads the way to a carbon-neutral future.”
Kazuyuki Urata, COO of Toyota Tsusho’s Circular Economy Division, added, “This collaboration with Asahi Kasei is an important step toward the acceleration of electrification in North America and the realization of a sustainable mobility society. Toyota Tsusho will leverage its global network and expertise in the mobility field to build a highly reliable automotive LIB supply chain, thereby creating a foundation to support the spread of electrified vehicles and the reduction of their environmental impact.”
In parallel, Asahi Kasei is advancing plans for a battery separator facility in Canada, first announced in May 2024. Alongside its U.S. operations, the Canadian plant will strengthen the company’s position within the growing North American battery ecosystem.
Source: FT Markets
