China, the world’s top graphite producer and exporter, will impose temporary restrictions on the export of some types of natural and man-made forms of graphite from December 1, aiming to protect national security, according to China’s Ministry of Commerce.
The exports of the material will require special permits.
Graphite is widely used in mechanical engineering, nuclear power engineering, metallurgy, electronics production, and the chemical industry.
It is also used in virtually all EV battery anodes, which are the negatively charged portion of a battery.
China accounts for 90% of the world’s graphite production, so the measure is expected to have a significant impact.
The largest importers of graphite from the country are Japan, the United States, India, and South Korea.