Graphite Material File
The Netherlands Materials Observatory (NMO) publishes material files (in Dutch) that provide insight into the availability, applications and strategic relevance of specific materials. This report focuses on graphite and brings together up-to-date, carefully analysed information relevant to government policy-making and decision-making in industry.
Last updated: May 2026
Applications
For natural graphite: batteries (52%), refractory materials (24%) and castings (8%). For synthetic graphite: batteries (31%), electric arc furnace electrodes (47%), and carbonising steel (8%).
Export restrictions
In October 2023, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) announced that an export licence would be required for natural flake graphite and products made from it, as well as for synthetic graphite materials with high purity, hardness and strength. With effect from 1 January 2025, China has further expanded the list of synthetic graphite products subject to export restrictions.
Price trends
Prices have not been significantly affected by the export restrictions. For various types of natural graphite, they range between $600 and $1,000 per tonne. Prices for flake and synthetic graphite are at their lowest level since 2011. For medium- and low-capacity anode material, the price of synthetic graphite is currently lower than that of flake graphite.
Production and processing
| Extraction | The extraction of natural graphite amounts to approximately 1.6 Mt per year and comes mainly from China (67%), Madagascar (10%), Brazil (7%) and Mozambique (6%). Total production of synthetic graphite ranges between 2.7 Mt and 3 Mt per year. |
|---|---|
| Exploration | Exploration takes place mainly in Africa, particularly in Tanzania, Madagascar, Mozambique and Malawi. The number of exploration wells peaked in 2018 but has since stabilised at a lower level. |
| Reserves | Global reserves amount to 279 Mt, with the largest reserves located in China (29%), Brazil (27%), Madagascar (10%), Mozambique (9%) and Tanzania (6%). |
| Processing | The processing of natural graphite takes place almost exclusively in China (99 per cent); the processing of synthetic graphite is more widely distributed, with China (69 per cent), India (8 per cent), Japan (4 per cent), Spain (4 per cent) and the US (5 per cent). |
| Recycling | It is estimated that recycling replaces a few per cent of primary graphite. There are many projects in which graphite is recovered from ‘black mass’ (alongside lithium, amongst other things); European companies are active in this field. |
The Netherlands’ role in trade and use
Dutch imports and exports
The Netherlands plays a relatively significant role in global trade, particularly in colloidal graphite (380110). During the period 2021-2023, the Netherlands was a consistent net exporter of colloidal graphite (380120) and synthetic graphite (380110), and a consistent net importer of natural graphite (excluding graphite in powder or flake form) (250490).
Origin of Dutch imports
For the Netherlands, the main direct suppliers of natural graphite (250490/250410) are China (approximately 28 per cent of imports) and European countries (Norway, Poland).
Applications in The Netherlands
According to an analysis by Statistics Netherlands (CBS), imports of natural graphite were mainly destined for the construction sector (30%), the building materials industry (14%) and the chemical industry (9%). In addition, a number of companies are involved in graphite processing.
Requests and conditions
This material file is only in Dutch and available exclusively on request to businesses and government bodies. The NMO makes the information in this file available, without obligation, to organisations active in the industry for which the content is relevant.
Organisations interested in one or more material files can submit a request via the TNO Repository. A member of the NMO team will then contact you to discuss the request in further detail.