Global and Chinese graphite resources and import and export status, global graphite overcapacity

NO1 ： Global Graphite Resources Overview

China is the world's largest graphite producer, with 650,000 tons of graphite production in 2020, almost the same as the previous two years. in 2020, China's graphite production accounts for 62% of the total global graphite production. In recent years, African countries led by Mozambique and Madagascar have vigorously developed their graphite industries, and Mozambique has surpassed Brazil in graphite production in 2018 to become the world's second largest graphite producer, with Mozambique's graphite production reaching 120,000 tons in 2020.

Global production statistics of top 10 graphite producing countries in 2020

The global graphite resources are widely distributed and relatively concentrated.In 2012, the global graphite reserves were 76.8 million tons.With the increasing application of graphite in strategic emerging industries, countries have increased their investment in graphite exploration, and the global graphite reserves have increased to 30 million tons by 2019, an increase of 2.91 times compared to 2012.The top three countries in the world in terms of graphite reserves in 2019 are Turkey (reserves of 90 million tons, accounting for 30.0%), China (73 million tons of reserves, accounting for 24.3%), Brazil (72 million tons of reserves, accounting for 24.0%), and other countries such as Tanzania and Mozambique together accounted for 21.7%.

Compared to Turkey, graphite in China is mainly crystalline graphite, and the scale of deposits is mainly large and medium-sized with high economic value, such as

Jixi Liumao graphite mine and Laobei Yunshan graphite mine, both of which have identified crystalline graphite mineral reserves of over 30 million tons. Turkey is dominated by cryptocrystalline graphite, which has a low development and utilization value.

World graphite reserves statistics from 2012-2019

Global graphite consumption is mainly concentrated in China, Japan, South Korea, India, Canada, Brazil, the U.S. In 2018, the top three countries in terms of consumption are China (consumption of 1,018,500 tons, accounting for 59.9%), Japan (consumption of 90,500 tons, accounting for 5.3%), India (consumption of 77,400 tons, accounting for 4.6%).

Global graphite consumption in 2018

NO2 ： Global Graphite Trade Patterns

The global graphite export volume in 2019 is about 811,400 tons. China is the world's top importer with about 197,000 tons; Pakistan is the world's second largest graphite importer with 193,000 tons; Japan is the world's third largest graphite importer with 131,800 tons, mainly from China. Other major graphite imports, Japan is the world leader in battery-grade graphite processing technology, and its refined products are mainly exported to South Korea, the United States, China and other countries.

Global graphite import statistics of major countries in 2019

In 2019, the global graphite export volume was about 547,900 tons. China ranks first in the world with 288,900 tons of graphite exports, accounting for 52.7% of the world's graphite exports, followed by Mozambique, which ranks second in the world with 145,900 tons of exports, accounting for 26.6% of the world's graphite exports. Other graphite exporting countries are Madagascar, Canada, Brazil, Germany, Laos, etc.

Global graphite export volume statistics of major countries in 2019

NO3 ： China Graphite Import and Export

From 2018 onwards, China's natural graphite export volume gradually declined to 90,600 tons by 2020, down 24.75% year-on-year, and 37,300 tons in January-April 2021. In terms of import volume, China's natural graphite import volume suddenly rose to 140,851 tons in 2017 and then rapidly declined to 2,293 tons by 2020, and 596 tons from January to April 2021.

Change in China's natural graphite export volume from 2015 to April 2021

Changes in China's Natural Graphite Import Volume, April 2015-2021

NO2 ： Import and export of graphite products

The import volume of graphite products in China in 2020 is 235,000 tons, of which 232,600 tons of scaled natural graphite is imported, the import amount is 11,658,500 USD, and the import unit price is 501.23 USD/ton, occupying 98.98% of the whole import volume.

Import of graphite products in China in 2020

Graphite product exports are more balanced, although flake natural graphite still occupies the largest share, but does not occupy the absolute dominant position, in 2020 flake natural graphite accounted for 39.76% of total exports; spheroidized graphite accounted for 22.14% of total exports; other powder or powder flake natural graphite accounted for 7.68% of total exports; natural graphite (except powder or powder flake) accounted for 30.42%.

NO2 ： Global Graphite Industry Status

1. Global graphite resources are widely distributed and relatively concentrated. Concentrated in Turkey, China and Brazil, these three countries account for about 78.3% of the world's graphite reserves. As China is dominated by crystalline graphite, it has greater economic significance. With the substantial increase of graphite resources in China and Africa and other countries, the world graphite supply capacity continues to increase, providing resources for the world economic development, especially the development of new energy vehicles.

2. Graphite producing countries mainly include China, India, Brazil, Canada, Ukraine, Mozambique and other countries. China's graphite production accounts for 74.55% of the world's production, and has a certain regulatory capacity in the world graphite supply. At present, the global graphite production capacity exceeds 2 million tons, with a relative overcapacity.

3、The global graphite has formed a trade pattern with China, Brazil, India, Mozambique, North Korea, Canada, Madagascar and other countries as the main exporters and China, Japan, the United States, Germany, South Korea, the Netherlands and other countries as the main importers.

4、Although China is a big graphite resource country, it is not yet a strong graphite country, and there is a gap between the high-end spheroidal graphite for battery, fluorinated graphite and nuclear grade graphite and foreign countries, and the graphite deep processing technology needs to be further improved.

5. In the future, the growth rate of the global energy storage market will increase, China's 5G infrastructure will accelerate, and the potential of new energy vehicles will explode. It is predicted that the global demand for natural graphite, especially high-quality graphite for batteries and large scale flakes (flexible graphite, expanded graphite) will increase significantly, and along with the strategic significance of graphite, the investment in graphite resource exploration will continue to increase in various countries, and the production and trade of major graphite producing countries will be strictly controlled.