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controls, tariffs and freight push US buyers to East African flake graphite","export-controls-tariffs-and-freight-push-us-buyers-to-east-african-flake-graphite","article/export-controls-tariffs-and-freight-push-us-buyers-to-east-african-flake-graphite",{"_uid":556,"date":557,"tags":558,"editor":580,"content":590,"excerpt":858,"featured":51,"reporter":859,"component":869,"seo_title":870,"categories":871,"visibility":885,"data_vis_image":886,"featured_image":891,"seo_description":895,"side_panel_banner":605,"formattedDate":896,"formattedArticleDate":897},"39c981de-667d-478c-b4df-fe516d63a68b","2026-10-30 00:00",[559,562,565,568,571,574,577],{"slug":560,"name":561},"tariffs","Tariffs",{"slug":563,"name":564},"export-restrictions","Export restrictions",{"slug":566,"name":567},"graphite-prices","Graphite prices",{"slug":569,"name":570},"africa","Africa",{"slug":572,"name":573},"china","China",{"slug":575,"name":576},"usa","USA",{"slug":578,"name":579},"north-america","North 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He also acts as a liaison to the press. He has a PhD in electrochemistry from the University of Nottingham.","https://www.linkedin.com/in/birdmatthew/",{"type":591,"attrs":592,"content":593},"doc",{"backgroundColor":49},[594,637,660,668,690,712,722,734,742,750,758,767,803,825,834,842,850],{"type":595,"attrs":596,"content":597},"paragraph",{"textAlign":49},[598,606,618,623,632],{"text":599,"type":600,"marks":601},"US buyers of ","text",[602],{"type":603,"attrs":604},"textStyle",{"color":605},"",{"text":607,"type":600,"marks":608},"flake graphite",[609,616],{"type":610,"attrs":611},"link",{"href":612,"uuid":613,"anchor":49,"target":614,"linktype":615},"/article/natural-graphite-remains-important-in-the-west-but-synthetic-still-holds-greater-share","0adf7ab8-1ab8-465c-a946-2ce5f4c24f3f","_self","story",{"type":603,"attrs":617},{"color":605},{"text":619,"type":600,"marks":620}," are shifting procurement from China to ",[621],{"type":603,"attrs":622},{"color":605},{"text":624,"type":600,"marks":625},"East Africa",[626,630],{"type":610,"attrs":627},{"href":628,"uuid":629,"anchor":49,"target":614,"linktype":615},"/videos/commodity-update-graphite","5c28791b-8a7b-4d13-9d1e-48cfbba8a9dd",{"type":603,"attrs":631},{"color":605},{"text":633,"type":600,"marks":634}," as the cost of imported Chinese flake soars. This comes on the back of slow and unpredictable Chinese export licences, combined with high freight costs, and the US tariff on Chinese natural graphite which came in effect in January. ",[635],{"type":603,"attrs":636},{"color":605},{"type":595,"attrs":638,"content":640},{"textAlign":639},"left",[641,646,655],{"text":642,"type":600,"marks":643},"Chinese flake now costs ~$150/tonne more to land in the US than the ",[644],{"type":603,"attrs":645},{"color":605},{"text":647,"type":600,"marks":648},"current market price",[649,653],{"type":610,"attrs":650},{"href":651,"uuid":652,"anchor":49,"target":614,"linktype":615},"/article/feedstock-costs-rise-but-aam-prices-hold-firm-anode-and-graphite-q3-2026-price-review","de97d2ba-5af8-4efb-b17e-a6f58fd907bc",{"type":603,"attrs":654},{"color":605},{"text":656,"type":600,"marks":657},", which is set typically by East African supply. ",[658],{"type":603,"attrs":659},{"color":605},{"type":595,"attrs":661,"content":662},{"textAlign":639},[663],{"text":664,"type":600,"marks":665},"China supplied 48% of US natural graphite imports in 2024 but only 13% in June–August 2026. East Africa’s share rose from 22% to 50%. ",[666],{"type":603,"attrs":667},{"color":605},{"type":595,"attrs":669,"content":670},{"textAlign":639},[671,676,685],{"text":672,"type":600,"marks":673},"“Export licensing had already started pushing ",[674],{"type":603,"attrs":675},{"color":605},{"text":677,"type":600,"marks":678},"US buyers",[679,683],{"type":610,"attrs":680},{"href":681,"uuid":682,"anchor":49,"target":614,"linktype":615},"/videos/panel-natural-graphite-s-role-in-tier1-anode-supply","2d7a8fe9-013a-46a8-8642-95ebff3fe1d3",{"type":603,"attrs":684},{"color":605},{"text":686,"type":600,"marks":687}," away from Chinese flake, and recent tariffs and freight have compounded the effect further,” Alderson said. ",[688],{"type":603,"attrs":689},{"color":605},{"type":595,"attrs":691,"content":692},{"textAlign":639},[693,698,707],{"text":694,"type":600,"marks":695},"Benchmark’s –100 mesh (94–95% C) CIF North America price, typically set by ",[696],{"type":603,"attrs":697},{"color":605},{"text":699,"type":600,"marks":700},"East African supply",[701,705],{"type":610,"attrs":702},{"href":703,"uuid":704,"anchor":49,"target":614,"linktype":615},"/article/cobalt-dominance-lithium-growth-graphite-heavyweight-africa-regional-spotlight","9fdec665-6d59-4eba-b2b2-712e2dc1c736",{"type":603,"attrs":706},{"color":605},{"text":708,"type":600,"marks":709},", has held steady at $750/tonne since June. Meanwhile, Benchmark’s CIF USA price based on Chinese flake rose from ~$575/tonne in February to $795/tonne in October, despite FOB China barely moving. Adding the 25% tariff takes its landed cost to ~$899/tonne, $149/tonne above CIF North America price, from ~$82/tonne below in February.",[710],{"type":603,"attrs":711},{"color":605},{"type":713,"attrs":714},"blok",{"id":715,"body":716},"bb38c877-3ac0-484b-804e-c198947057db",[717],{"id":718,"_uid":719,"type":720,"component":721,"fixed_height":605,"use_fixed_height":50,"fixed_height_mobile":605,"fixed_height_tablet":605},"30746668","i-ee90e53a-4bc4-4424-a075-1e17997ab9c9","visualisation","ContentFlourish",{"type":723,"attrs":724,"content":726},"heading",{"level":725,"textAlign":639},2,[727],{"text":728,"type":600,"marks":729},"Export licences make Chinese supply unreliable ",[730,732],{"type":603,"attrs":731},{"color":605},{"type":733},"bold",{"type":595,"attrs":735,"content":736},{"textAlign":639},[737],{"text":738,"type":600,"marks":739},"China has required export licences for natural flake and spherical graphite since December 2023. In December 2024, China added stricter end-use reviews for graphite exported to the US. ",[740],{"type":603,"attrs":741},{"color":605},{"type":595,"attrs":743,"content":744},{"textAlign":639},[745],{"text":746,"type":600,"marks":747},"Market participants report to Benchmark that applications filed in February are still unapproved months later, despite repeated resubmissions. ",[748],{"type":603,"attrs":749},{"color":605},{"type":595,"attrs":751,"content":752},{"textAlign":639},[753],{"text":754,"type":600,"marks":755},"\"With no clear timeline for approvals, buyers can’t plan around Chinese supply, and holding extra stock to cover the gaps is costly,\" Alderson said. ",[756],{"type":603,"attrs":757},{"color":605},{"type":723,"attrs":759,"content":760},{"level":725,"textAlign":639},[761],{"text":762,"type":600,"marks":763},"Tariffs and freight disproportionately impact Chinese material ",[764,766],{"type":603,"attrs":765},{"color":605},{"type":733},{"type":595,"attrs":768,"content":769},{"textAlign":639},[770,775,784,789,798],{"text":771,"type":600,"marks":772},"Since 1 January 2026, Chinese natural graphite has faced a 25% Section 301 tariff, up from zero. This gives East African flake from ",[773],{"type":603,"attrs":774},{"color":605},{"text":776,"type":600,"marks":777},"Mozambique",[778,782],{"type":610,"attrs":779},{"href":780,"uuid":781,"anchor":49,"target":614,"linktype":615},"/article/mozambique-enforces-15-state-stake-in-mining-and-introduces-export-ban","357656ac-3e88-43a3-8d98-7728ecf9daf3",{"type":603,"attrs":783},{"color":605},{"text":785,"type":600,"marks":786},", ",[787],{"type":603,"attrs":788},{"color":605},{"text":790,"type":600,"marks":791},"Tanzania",[792,796],{"type":610,"attrs":793},{"href":794,"uuid":795,"anchor":49,"target":614,"linktype":615},"/article/site-visit-permanent-minerals-highlights-africas-growing-flake-graphite-role","fd8d9fa2-3a92-4168-973e-760f72a44ef2",{"type":603,"attrs":797},{"color":605},{"text":799,"type":600,"marks":800}," and Madagascar a sizeable advantage as it enters the US duty-free. ",[801],{"type":603,"attrs":802},{"color":605},{"type":595,"attrs":804,"content":805},{"textAlign":639},[806,811,820],{"text":807,"type":600,"marks":808},"A basket of container routes from China to US has more than tripled since February, to ~$350–485/tonne in September, driven in part by higher fuel costs since the ",[809],{"type":603,"attrs":810},{"color":605},{"text":812,"type":600,"marks":813},"conflict in the Middle East",[814,818],{"type":610,"attrs":815},{"href":816,"uuid":817,"anchor":49,"target":614,"linktype":615},"/article/what-does-the-middle-east-conflict-mean-for-battery-supply-chains-","3ba99529-b0e2-4bd1-b7d2-2189b7845e75",{"type":603,"attrs":819},{"color":605},{"text":821,"type":600,"marks":822},". By contrast, a basket of rates from East Africa to US has been broadly flat since June and is up only ~0–4% year on year. ",[823],{"type":603,"attrs":824},{"color":605},{"type":723,"attrs":826,"content":827},{"level":725,"textAlign":639},[828],{"text":829,"type":600,"marks":830},"East African producers not currently benefitting on price",[831,833],{"type":603,"attrs":832},{"color":605},{"type":733},{"type":595,"attrs":835,"content":836},{"textAlign":639},[837],{"text":838,"type":600,"marks":839},"The –100 mesh FOB East Africa price eased slightly, from $550/tonne in August to $510/tonne in October, as the wider flake market remains in surplus. ",[840],{"type":603,"attrs":841},{"color":605},{"type":595,"attrs":843,"content":844},{"textAlign":639},[845],{"text":846,"type":600,"marks":847},"\"East African producers are winning market share, but not higher prices yet,\" Alderson said. ",[848],{"type":603,"attrs":849},{"color":605},{"type":595,"attrs":851,"content":852},{"textAlign":639},[853],{"text":854,"type":600,"marks":855},"Benchmark forecasts nominal FOB East Africa prices will rise to $581/tonne in 2028 compared to just $480/tonne for FOB China material. However, US tariffs and elevated freight rates will likely more than cover the difference in the FOB price, meaning East African producers will remain competitive for the US market. As a deficit in –100 mesh material is expected to emerge from 2029, Benchmark forecasts FOB East Africa prices to reach $700/t by 2030. ",[856],{"type":603,"attrs":857},{"color":605},"US buyers of flake graphite are shifting procurement from China to East Africa as the cost of imported Chinese flake soars. This comes on the back of slow and unpredictable Chinese export licences, combined with high freight costs, and the US tariff on Chinese natural graphite which came in effect in January. ",[860],{"slug":861,"name":862,"content":863},"tony-alderson","Tony Alderson",{"job_title":864,"image":865,"bio":867,"linkedin":868,"markets_covered":261},"Research Manager - Anode",{"filename":866},"https://a.storyblok.com/f/287943243085208/800x800/f521ccb976/tony-alderson.jpeg","Tony is a Research Manager at Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, specialising in forward-looking models that encompass supply, demand, and pricing dynamics for anode materials. He has over 3 years experience in the battery supply chain, previously working as a Price & Data Analyst, for LiB raw materials. His background is in renewable and sustainable energy technologies, having completed an MSc at Northumbria University, Newcastle.","https://www.linkedin.com/in/tony-alderson-b370b7170/","article","Export controls, tariffs and freight push US to African graphite",[872,874,877,879,882],{"slug":873,"name":261},"anode",{"slug":875,"name":876},"graphite","Graphite",{"slug":878,"name":190},"natural-graphite",{"slug":880,"name":881},"raw-materials","Raw Materials",{"slug":883,"name":884},"critical-minerals","Critical Minerals","private",{"id":887,"alt":605,"name":605,"focus":605,"title":605,"source":605,"filename":888,"copyright":605,"fieldtype":889,"meta_data":890,"is_external_url":50},236259385385339,"https://a.storyblok.com/f/287943243085208/1588x1226/fc3d08d5f6/east-africa-vs-china-to-us-2x-1.png","asset",{},{"id":892,"alt":605,"name":605,"focus":605,"title":605,"source":605,"filename":893,"copyright":605,"fieldtype":889,"meta_data":894,"is_external_url":50},236252130205126,"https://a.storyblok.com/f/287943243085208/1380x807/0ea0fd29a6/balama-syrah-resources.avif",{},"US buyers of flake graphite are shifting procurement from China to East Africa as the cost of imported Chinese flake soars. on the back of slow and unpredictable Chinese export licences, combined with high freight costs, and the US tariff on Chinese flake","Oct 30, 2026","30th October 2026",[],[],1793380286860]