The decision of the US International Trade Commission (ITC) to ban SK Innovation from importing and manufacturing lithium batteries in the United States for ten years presented the South Korean company with a difficult choice. She said on Tuesday that she is considering all options, including moving battery production from the United States to another country, unless US President Joe Biden reverses the ITC decision by April 11.

A spokesperson for SK Innovation said the company is currently discussing with experts how to move battery production from the United States to Europe or China, which would cost tens of billions of won.

ITC’s decision to ban stems from a patent dispute between SK Innovation and LG Energy Solution, the battery division of LG Chem. In this dispute, the commission sided with LG and SK Innovation can only resolve the problem by reaching an amicable agreement with its competitor.

To reach an agreement between SK Innovation and LG has not yet been possible due to the exorbitant amount of compensation, which the latter demands, in the opinion of the first. According to LG, it is owed $ 2,6 billion in compensation, and SK Innovation believes that the amount of compensation should be no more than $ 440 million.

In any event, SK Innovation has warned that it will be forced to halt construction of a $ 2,6 billion battery plant in Georgia unless Biden exercises his right to reverse the ITC decision within 60 days of its release.