In our latest episode, I spoke with Rita Adiani, President & CEO of Titan Mining.

Titan is positioned to become the first U.S. producer of natural flake graphite in more than 70 years, leveraging an existing brownfield operation to fast-track development and support domestic supply chains.

We cover:

• How graphite was identified within Titan’s existing mineral rights package
• The brownfield advantage: leveraging existing infrastructure to reduce cost, timeline, and execution risk
• The demonstration facility entering production, with interest from U.S. buyers - including one company interested in taking the first 1,200 tpa
• Why the graphite pricing conversation needs to shift from China benchmarks to a Western cost basis
• Support from the U.S. government, including a $120M letter of interest from EXIM to fund commercial development
• Key milestones for investors through 2026

China has temporarily suspended part of its 2024 export controls on graphite and other dual-use materials destined for the United States.

On 9 November 2025, the Ministry of Commerce issued Announcement No. 72 (2025), pausing implementation of a key paragraph in Announcement No. 46 (2024) that tightened export approvals for dual-use graphite shipments to the U.S.

This means that, until 27 November 2026, exports of certain dual-use graphite products from China to the U.S. will face less stringent end-user and end-use reviews than previously required.

Importantly, this is not a policy reversal; it is a temporary adjustment.

Initial Controls (2024):
Read Here

Suspension (2025):
Read Here

A new study from Stanford University highlights the scale of the challenge facing Western graphite producers.

Production costs for battery-grade anode graphite are 100-200% higher in the U.S. than in China:

• Synthetic graphite anode material: $12,300/t in the U.S. vs $5,400/t in China
• Natural graphite anode material: $8,400/t in the U.S. vs $3,600/t in China

At current prices, few projects outside China are economically viable without major support.

Policy will determine success. Without low-cost financing or sustained price premiums, Western projects will struggle to compete - potentially adding ~$700 per EV if graphite is sourced domestically.

Qualification is another barrier. Even if new production routes emerge, it can take up to five years to qualify graphite for battery use, delaying returns and testing investor patience.

The takeaway: The West faces a chicken-and-egg dilemma - costs can’t fall without scale, and scale won’t happen without early public or OEM-backed support. Strategic coordination between governments, automakers, and producers is essential to build resilient non-China supply chains.