Battery metals
Carbon (C)
Natural graphite is the main anode material in lithium-ion batteries; also refractories.
Open in the explorer- Atomic number
- 6
- Period · group
- 2 · 14
- Block
- p-block
Why it is critical
Spherical graphite processing for battery anodes is highly concentrated.
Who trades graphite (natural)
$539 m of graphite (natural) products crossed borders in 2024: ores and concentrates $539 m.
Largest exporters
- 1China$228 m42%
- 2Madagascar$54 m10%
- 3Mozambique$44 m8%
- 4Germany$38 m7%
- 5Brazil$23 m4%
- 6United States of America$20 m4%
- 7Canada$19 m4%
- 8Tanzania$19 m4%
Largest importers
- 1United States of America$98 m18%
- 2Japan$60 m11%
- 3Germany$51 m9%
- 4South Korea$44 m8%
- 5India$40 m7%
- 6China$33 m6%
- 7Poland$33 m6%
- 8Austria$17 m3%
Trade values in current US dollars (ores, concentrates, intermediates, chemicals and refined metal), not prices. Source: CEPII BACI (HS22), Etalab Open Licence 2.0 — details.