Asahi Kasei and Toyota Tsusho have formed a partnership to supply Hipore™ lithium-ion battery separators in North America, with production starting mid-2027 from Asahi Kasei's new Charlotte, North Carolina facility.
Diversified global manufacturer Asahi Kasei and leading trading company Toyota Tsusho have officially announced a partnership to supply Automotive Lithium-Ion Battery (LIB) separators in the burgeoning North American market. This collaboration, formalized through a capacity rights agreement between their respective U.S. subsidiaries, Asahi Kasei Battery Separator America, LLC (AKBSA) and Toyota Tsusho America, Inc. (TAI), marks a pivotal step in establishing a robust and localized battery supply chain.
Under the terms of the agreement, TAI will gain preferential access to AKBSA's production capacity for Hipore™ wet-process LIB separators. Shipments are slated to commence in mid-2027, with the separators originating from Asahi Kasei's new coating facility currently under construction in Charlotte, North Carolina. This development is crucial for both entities, as it provides Asahi Kasei with a mechanism to mitigate market fluctuation risks and optimize resource utilization through consistent high operational rates. Conversely, Toyota Tsusho secures a stable and reliable supply of a critical component for Electric Vehicle (EV) batteries, directly supporting its initiatives to build out a comprehensive automotive battery supply chain across North America.
The synergy between Asahi Kasei's established expertise in functional materials and Toyota Tsusho's extensive experience in mobility is expected to accelerate the widespread adoption of high-quality wet-process separators in the North American battery landscape. This, in turn, will contribute to the production of higher-performance electric vehicles.
Ryu Taniguchi, Lead Executive Officer of Asahi Kasei and the executive overseeing the company's separator business, emphasized the strategic importance of this alliance. “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,” he stated. “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.”
Echoing this sentiment, 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.”
