For most of the past 70 years, graphite mining in the United States barely existed. The mineral, essential to everything from pencils to nuclear reactors, was simply cheaper to import, particularly from China. Domestic mines shut down by the 1950s, and the supply chain quietly moved offshore.
That long-held assumption is now being challenged.
Rising geopolitical tensions with China, combined with a surge in demand from electric vehicles and energy storage, are prompting the U.S. to reassess graphite as a strategic asset rather than a commodity afterthought.
A critical mineral returns to focus
Graphite plays a central role in lithium-ion batteries, forming the anodes that store and release energy in devices ranging from smartphones to electric cars and grid-scale battery systems. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, graphite’s ability to conduct electricity and withstand extreme heat makes it critical for both civilian and military applications. The Department of the Interior formally lists graphite among 60 “critical minerals,” alongside rare earth elements.
Global demand is expected to surge over the next decade as battery production scales up. Both natural graphite (mined from the ground) and synthetic graphite (manufactured and typically more expensive but purer) are used in battery anodes, often in combination, according to industry data.
Yet China dominates the supply of both forms, a concentration that has worried U.S. policymakers for years. Those concerns intensified recently when China imposed new export controls on graphite and several other minerals, before temporarily relaxing them for a year.
Trade tensions reshape the economics
The strategic rethink gained urgency this year as trade tensions escalated under President Donald Trump’s administration, which imposed higher tariffs on China. While tensions eased somewhat after Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping met in October at a regional economic summit in South Korea, uncertainty around long-term supply reliability remains.
“We believe there is a real opportunity here,” said Rita Adiani, CEO of Titan Mining Corp., which is developing a graphite deposit in northern New York, the Associated Press reported. “We have the ability to supply a significant portion of U.S. needs. And that’s largely because you can’t see China now as a reliable supply-chain partner.”
A mine in New York — and a nod to history
Titan’s deposit lies in a snowy, rural region about 25 miles from the Canadian border, an area with a long mining history that includes graphite, iron ore, and garnet. The iconic yellow Ticonderoga pencil was named after a town several hours east, where graphite was once mined.
Titan has already begun limited extraction under existing permits at its operating zinc mine and is targeting commercial graphite sales by 2028. The company plans to sell graphite concentrate for high-tech, industrial and military uses, including heat-resistant coatings, grid-scale battery anodes and lubricants for military vehicles.
Federal backing and fast-tracked approvals
Washington is now actively encouraging such projects.
The 2022 Inflation Reduction Act introduced a tax credit aimed at boosting domestic production of critical minerals, including graphite. More recently, the federal government has pursued critical mineral agreements with allied countries, increased funding support and streamlined permitting processes.
This fall, U.S. officials approved Titan’s New York project for fast-tracked permitting, stating it would help “build a strategically significant domestic supply chain for graphite.” The U.S. Export-Import Bank has said it would consider lending up to $120 million for construction and has pledged $5.5 million toward a feasibility study.
Titan expects eventual output of about 40,000 metric tonnes (44,092 tons) of graphite concentrate per year, which is roughly half of current U.S. demand for natural graphite, according to the company.
A small but growing pipeline
Despite renewed interest, the domestic graphite industry remains in its infancy.
According to the US Geological Survey’s National Minerals Information Center, no U.S. graphite mines currently produce a regular commercial product. Most closed by the mid-20th century.
However, the agency identifies five active projects, including Titan’s New York site, two projects in Alabama, and one each in Montana and Alaska. In Alabama, Westwater Resources recently announced it had retained an engineering firm to lead permitting for its Coosa Deposit. In Alaska, Graphite One Inc. is developing what state officials describe as the largest known large-flake graphite deposit in the United States.
Titan holds a key advantage: its graphite deposit was discovered years ago at an already-permitted zinc mine, allowing early production while additional approvals are sought.
The bigger picture
For investors and policymakers alike, graphite’s revival underscores a broader shift in how the U.S. approaches supply chains. What was once optimized purely for cost is now being recalibrated for resilience, security and strategic autonomy.
If demand projections hold, and if geopolitical uncertainty persists, graphite could become a case study in how quickly forgotten resources can return to the center of economic and national security planning.
For the first time in decades, America’s graphite story is no longer about what it imports, but what it might once again produce at home.
