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The US Governor of Georgia has asked US President Joe Biden to reject the International Trade Commission’s (ITC) ruling over the battery lawsuit against SK Innovation. The reason is that there is concern about a blow to the Georgian economy. SK Innovation has invested a total of 2.5 billion dollars (3 trillion won) in battery factories in Georgia.
According to Reuters on the 12th (local time), Governor Brian Kemp demanded a veto, saying that “the ruling on the 11th will damage the factories of electric vehicle battery manufacturers under construction in the southern state.”
Governor Kemp’s request came two days after the US ITC admitted that SK Innovation has stolen LG’s trade secrets related to electric vehicle battery technology.
Prior to that, on the 10th, ITC recognized SK Innovation’s infringement of trade secrets in a technology dispute between SK Innovation and LG Energy Solutions, which was called the’Battery Litigation of the Century’, and decided to win LG Energy Solution completely.
The ITC decision is finalized within 60 days with the approval of US President Joe Biden. However, if President Biden rejects it, the ITC ruling is virtually invalid. However, in order for President Biden to exercise his veto, prior agreement between SK and LG must be premised.
If SK does not agree with LG before President Biden’s approval, the production of batteries in the Georgia plant in the US will also face difficulties. It means that the US battery plant, which has invested 3 trillion won, will be virtually impossible to operate.
According to the ITC’s decision, SK Innovation’s existing customers, Ford and Volkswagen, cannot use SK Innovation’s batteries after the grace period.
ITC has ordered a ban on production and import of SK’s secondary battery batteries and related parts in the US for the next 10 years. In addition, for Ford and Volkswagen, which have already signed battery supply contracts with SK Innovation, they gave grace periods of four and two years, respectively, for this action.
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