Graphite stocks surge as Beijing opens new frontier in trade war

Australian graphite stocks surged after China announced export controls restricting supply of one of the key battery minerals required for electric vehicles, opening a new frontier in a trade war with the US and its allied nations.

China is the world’s top graphite producer and exporter, and also refines more than 90 per cent of the world’s graphite into material used in electronics and defence applications including weapons systems.