China Restricts Graphite Exports — Battery Supply Chain at Risk

China's Ministry of Commerce announces export controls on natural and synthetic graphite effective December 1, 2023, requiring export licenses for materials critical to EV battery anodes. China supplies 65% of natural graphite and 90%+ of battery-grade synthetic graphite globally. The restrictions are a direct counter to US EV battery supply chain diversification efforts and target a critical vulnerability in Western electric vehicle supply chains.