Graphite (C): Uses, Supply Chain and Market
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Natural graphite is mined as flake, amorphous and lump graphite and is used in batteries, brake linings, lubricants, refractories and steelmaking. In 2025 China produced an estimated 1,400,000 t, 78% of world mine production (USGS world total: 1,800,000 t), according to the US Geological Survey (USGS). US net import reliance for graphite in 2025 was 100%. Graphite is on all four official critical minerals lists: the US, EU, Australian and Canadian.
$1,000/t
flake, average unit value of imports in 2025 (-5% on 2024)
Which countries produce graphite?
| Country | 2024 | 2025 (estimate) | Share of 2025 world | Reserves (t) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| China | 1,270,000 | 1,400,000 | 78% | 100,000,000 |
| Madagascar | 85,000 | 80,000 | 4.4% | 27,000,000 |
| Tanzania | 27,000 | 75,000 | 4.2% | 18,000,000 |
| Brazil | 58,000 | 65,000 | 3.6% | 74,000,000 |
| Mozambique | 39,000 | 60,000 | 3.3% | 25,000,000 |
| Russia | 20,000 | 25,000 | 1.4% | 14,000,000 |
| India | 17,600 | 17,000 | 0.9% | 8,600,000 |
| Canada | 11,700 | 8,000 | 0.4% | 5,900,000 |
| United States | None | None | - | NA |
| All other countries | 22,386 | 22,880 | 1.3% | NA |
| World total (USGS, rounded) | 1,550,000 | 1,800,000 | 100% | 310,000,000 |
Source: USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, Graphite (natural). Shares are calculated from the country figures and can differ by a point or two from percentages USGS states in its text, because USGS rounds its figures. NA means not available; Withheld means USGS withheld the figure to avoid disclosing company data.
What is graphite used for?
US companies consumed an estimated 71,000 tons of natural graphite in 2025, valued at $128 million. US imports of 79,000 tons were 73.4% flake and high-purity, 26.2% amorphous and 0.4% lump and chip.
- Batteries: natural and synthetic graphite anode material
- Brake linings, lubricants and powdered metals: widely used in all three
- Refractory applications and steelmaking: widely used
- Defense-related materials: incorporated into some components
How much does graphite cost?
USGS reports the average 2025 price of graphite at $1,000/t (flake, average unit value of imports; -5% on 2024). Full graphite price page.
Is graphite a critical mineral?
Graphite is on all four official critical minerals lists: the US, EU, Australian and Canadian. Each government builds its list with its own method, so a mineral can be critical in one place and not in another.
| Jurisdiction | Status |
|---|---|
| United States | Critical mineral (final 2025 list) |
| European Union | Critical and strategic |
| Australia | Critical minerals list |
| Canada | Critical (priority) |
Lists last checked against the primary publications on October 12, 2026. See the comparison of all four lists.
Export controls and trade measures
- China has required export licenses for graphite since 2023 and for artificial graphite anode materials and lithium-battery items since 2025 (USGS Table 4).
- Namibia bans exports of graphite ores and concentrates (2023).
See the export controls tracker for dates and current status.
What are the substitutes for graphite?
| Application | Substitute and trade-off |
|---|---|
| Iron and steel production | Synthetic graphite powder, scrap from discarded machined shapes and calcined petroleum coke |
| Batteries | Synthetic graphite powder and secondary synthetic graphite from machining graphite shapes |
| Foundry-facing applications | Finely ground coke with olivine, a potential competitor |
| Dry lubricant | Molybdenum disulfide, which is more sensitive to oxidizing conditions |
Source: USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, Graphite (natural). USGS says substitutes often cost performance or money; the table gives its wording for each application.
Can graphite be recycled?
Recycling of refractory brick and linings into products such as brake linings and thermal insulation was increasing, but the abundance of graphite on the world market inhibits more recycling. USGS has no data on the quantity recycled.
What are the supply risks and recent events for graphite?
- December 2024 to 2025. North American graphite producers petitioned the US Department of Commerce and the International Trade Commission over China's graphite active anode material. The Commission found it was likely sold at less than fair value, and in 2025 Commerce set preliminary antidumping duties of 93.50% and countervailing duties of 11.58% to 721.03% depending on the company.
- January to August 2025. US imports of graphite battery anode material, natural and synthetic, were 43,400 tons against 28,100 tons a year earlier, from China (55%), Indonesia (31%) and the Republic of Korea (14%).
- January to September 2025. China exported 115,000 tons of natural graphite (6% more) and 37,400 tons of spherical purified graphite (29% more). A Chinese company began producing spherical graphite in Central Java, Indonesia, and Chinese companies were developing or considering plants in Finland, Malaysia, Morocco, Oman and Sweden.
- 2025. Tanzania more than doubled production to 75,000 tons. The Balama Mine in Mozambique restarted in June after being suspended since late 2024. Five companies were developing graphite mines in the United States (two in Alabama, one each in Alaska, Montana and New York); the Alaska project completed a feasibility study planning an average 175,000 tons per year of concentrate over 20 years.
US import sources, 2021 to 2024. China, 46%; Canada, 13%; Mozambique, 13%; Mexico, 12%; and other, 16%. (USGS)
Resources. Domestic resources of graphite are relatively small, but the rest of the world's resources exceed 800 million tons of recoverable graphite.
Which graphite projects are on official lists?
| Project | Country | Promoter | Stage | List |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CO2Graphite | Estonia | UP Catalyst OU | Processing | EU, March 2025 |
| Hycamite TCD Technologies Ltd | Finland | Hycamite TCD Technologies Ltd | Processing | EU, March 2025 |
| Project Fortum Hydromet | Finland | Fortum Battery Recycling Oy | Recycling | EU, March 2025 |
| BAM4EVER (Phase I&II) | France | Tokai COBEX savoie | Processing | EU, March 2025 |
| GALLICAM | France | Sibanye-Stillwater Sandouville Refinery | Processing | EU, March 2025 |
| Hydrometallurgy | France | Orano Batteries | Recycling | EU, March 2025 |
| European Initiative for Strategic and Sustainable Graphite Production | France, Namibia and Germany | NGC Battery Materials GmbH | Processing | EU, March 2025 |
| EU BEST STRAT | Germany | cylib Production I GmbH | Recycling | EU, October 2026 |
| ProHiPerSi | Germany | PCC Thorion GmbH | Substitution | EU, March 2025 |
| Alkeemia PureGraph | Italy | Alkeemia S.p.A. | Processing | EU, October 2026 |
| Sarytogan Graphite Project | Kazakhstan | Sarytogan Graphite Limited | Extraction | Outside the EU, June 2025 |
| Maniry Graphite Mine Project | Madagascar | Evion Group NL | Extraction | Outside the EU, June 2025 |
| Back to Battery black mass refining | Netherlands | Back to Battery B.V. | Recycling | EU, October 2026 |
| Norgraph a/s and Greenland Graphite a/s | Norway (Norgraph a/s) and Greenland (Greenland Graphite a/s) | GreenRoc Strategic Materials Plc | Integrated | Outside the EU, June 2025 |
| Battery recycling capacity, Racari | Romania | ECO LIFE STYLE S.R.L. | Recycling | EU, October 2026 |
| SALROM Baia de Fier | Romania | Societatea Națională a Sării S.A. | Extraction | EU, March 2025 |
| NorthCYCLE | Sweden | Northvolt Revolt AB | Recycling | EU, March 2025 |
| Talga Natural Graphite ONE | Sweden | Talga AB | Extraction | EU, March 2025 |
| Balakhivka Graphite Deposit | Ukraine | Pobuzhzhya's Development LLC | Extraction | Outside the EU, June 2025 |
Source: annexes to Commission Decisions C(2025) 1904, C(2025) 3491 and C(2026) 8051. The Commission calls every listed project ongoing; that is not the same as operating. A project is listed here for each material the annex names for it.
| Project | State | Expected products | List |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coosa Graphite Deposit Project | Alabama | Graphite | Covered |
| Graphite Creek Project | Alaska | Graphite | Covered |
| Kilbourne Graphite Project | New York | Graphite | Covered |
Source: Permitting Council, current covered projects and current transparency projects, last updated 2 April 2026.
Which companies produce or process graphite?
| Company | Country | Role | What the source says |
|---|---|---|---|
| Syrah Resources | Australia (Balama mine in Mozambique, Vidalia plant in Louisiana) | Natural graphite miner and anode material maker (ASX: SYR) | Its quarterly report to 30 June 2026 says Balama produced 2 kilotonnes of natural graphite, with the next production campaign deferred to the September quarter, that 7 kilotonnes were sold at US$736 a tonne, and that 150 tonnes of active anode material were made at Vidalia for customer qualification. Syrah Resources: quarterly activities report for the three months to 30 June 2026 (23 July 2026) |
| Westwater Resources | United States | Developer of the Kellyton graphite plant in Alabama | Its 10-K says Phase I of the Kellyton plant is anticipated to produce about 26,500 metric tons of product a year and Phase II about 106,000, that construction began in the fourth quarter of 2021, and that FCA terminated its offtake agreement on 3 November 2025 while agreements with SK On and Hiller Carbon remain. Westwater Resources, Form 10-K for 2025 (filed 19 March 2026) |
| Graphite One | United States (Graphite Creek project in Alaska) | Developer of the Graphite Creek mine and anode material plant (TSXV: GPH) | Its April 2025 feasibility study release says the Graphite Creek mine north of Nome, Alaska, would produce an average of 175,000 tonnes a year of graphite concentrate over 20 years, with 169,000 tonnes a year of active anode material by 2031, and that Defense Production Act Title III funding helped finish the study early. Graphite One: feasibility study release (23 April 2025) |
| Nouveau Monde Graphite | Canada | Developer of the Matawinie mine and Bécancour anode plant (NYSE: NMG; TSX: NOU) | Its annual information form for 2025 gives nominal Matawinie production of 105,882 metric tonnes a year of graphite concentrate and a first-stage Bécancour anode plant of about 13,000 tonnes a year, and says the project is advancing toward a final investment decision that had not been taken. Nouveau Monde Graphite: annual information form for 2025 (25 March 2026) |
Each row links to the document that supports it. The list is not exhaustive and is not a ranking.
Frequently asked questions
What is graphite used for?
Graphite is used in batteries, brake linings, lubricants and powdered metals and refractory applications and steelmaking. Batteries: natural and synthetic graphite anode material.
Which country produces the most graphite?
China produces the most graphite: an estimated 1,400,000 t, or 78% of the world total, in 2025, according to the USGS mine production figures.
Is graphite a critical mineral?
Yes. Graphite is on all four official critical minerals lists: the US, EU, Australian and Canadian. Graphite was already on the 2022 US list and stays on the final 2025 list of 60 minerals. US net import reliance for graphite in 2025 was 100%.
How much does graphite cost?
USGS reports the average 2025 price of graphite at $1,000/t (flake, average unit value of imports; -5% on 2024).
Sources
Read on October 13, 2026. Figures on this page come from these documents; where a number is an estimate, the source says so.
- USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Graphite (natural). Production, reserves, uses, substitutes, recycling and events
- USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: introduction (Table 7 and Figures 10A and 10B). Net import reliance, leading producer and price changes for critical minerals
- USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: introduction (Table 4, export controls by country)
- Federal Register: Final 2025 List of Critical Minerals
- EUR-Lex: Regulation (EU) 2024/1252
- Department of Industry, Science and Resources: Australia’s Critical Minerals List and Strategic Materials List
- Government of Canada: Canada’s critical minerals
- Permitting Council: current FAST-41 projects
- Syrah Resources: quarterly activities report for the three months to 30 June 2026 (23 July 2026)
- Westwater Resources, Form 10-K for 2025 (filed 19 March 2026)
- Graphite One: feasibility study release (23 April 2025)
- Nouveau Monde Graphite: annual information form for 2025 (25 March 2026)
Related topics
Graphite price
The price page for graphite.
China profile
Production, policy and projects in China.
Critical Minerals Lists Compared
The US, EU, Australian and Canadian lists side by side.
Export Controls and Restrictions
China, Indonesia, DR Congo and other measures with dates.
Cobalt
Profile of cobalt.
Lithium
Profile of lithium.
