Graphite Price: Range, Benchmarks and Drivers

USGS reports the average 2025 price of graphite at $1,000/t (flake, average unit value of imports; -5% on 2024). The price has changed by an average of -7% a year since 2021. The table gives the annual averages for each year available, and the sections after it give the dealer price where one is listed and the recent events the sources report.

Graphite price: what the sources report

What recent events affect the graphite market?

• 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.

Frequently asked questions

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).

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%.

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.

Sources

Read on October 13, 2026. Figures on this page come from these documents; where a number is an estimate, the source says so.

1. USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Graphite (natural). Production, reserves, uses, substitutes, recycling and events
2. USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: introduction (Table 7 and Figures 10A and 10B). Net import reliance, leading producer and price changes for critical minerals
3. Federal Register: Final 2025 List of Critical Minerals
4. EUR-Lex: Regulation (EU) 2024/1252
5. Department of Industry, Science and Resources: Australia’s Critical Minerals List and Strategic Materials List
6. Government of Canada: Canada’s critical minerals
7. Syrah Resources: quarterly activities report for the three months to 30 June 2026 (23 July 2026)
8. Westwater Resources, Form 10-K for 2025 (filed 19 March 2026)
9. Graphite One: feasibility study release (23 April 2025)
10. Nouveau Monde Graphite: annual information form for 2025 (25 March 2026)