Graphite
The anode in nearly every lithium-ion battery, plus electrodes for steelmaking. China mines ~78% and refines over 90% of battery-grade material.
Battery anodes for UPS and storage systems; synthetic graphite also forms heat spreaders and thermal-interface sheets inside servers and GPUs.
China added graphite anode materials to export controls in Oct 2025; IEA estimates a full disruption would put >$300B/yr of downstream production outside China at risk.
Where it's produced
Share of 2025 world mine production (metric tons). Source: USGS MCS 2026.
Where the reserves are
Share of known economic reserves (metric tons). World total: 310M t. ≈ 172 years at 2025 output.
Who calls it critical
Membership on each government list. “Strategic” marks a higher tier where the list has one; “group” means included as part of a group such as rare earths or PGMs.
Graphite: key questions
- Where is graphite mined or produced?
- According to USGS 2025 data, the largest producers are China (78%), Madagascar (4.4%) and Tanzania (4.2%) of world mine production.
- Is graphite a critical mineral?
- Graphite appears on 10 of the 10 official lists we track (United States, United States (DOE), European Union, United Kingdom, China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia, Canada).
- Is graphite in short supply?
- Our supply status: Tight / restricted. China added graphite anode materials to export controls in Oct 2025; IEA estimates a full disruption would put >$300B/yr of downstream production outside China at risk.
- Why does graphite matter for AI infrastructure?
- Battery anodes for UPS and storage systems; synthetic graphite also forms heat spreaders and thermal-interface sheets inside servers and GPUs.
Related minerals
ExplorerCobalt
DeficitA battery cathode and superalloy metal. About three-quarters of mined supply comes from the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Lithium
DeficitThe lightest metal and the heart of every lithium-ion battery — from phones and EVs to the grid-scale storage now being bolted onto data centers.
Vanadium
WatchA steel-strengthening alloy and the active material in vanadium redox flow batteries for long-duration storage.