China imposes fresh export curbs on key EV battery component

Hong Kong: China has announced additional export restrictions on some graphite products from December in the name of national security, a move that can affect EV manufacturers worldwide as the country is the primary source and producer of natural graphite.

The South China Morning Post reported on Friday that China will require exporters to apply for permits starting from December 1, with the US, South Korea and Japan among the top importers.

Graphite has been widely used for making batteries, fuel cells and lubricants for the machinery, petrochemical, defence and aerospace sectors.

“Demand has risen in recent years as it is a raw material used for electric vehicle batteries,” the report mentioned.

China produced an estimated 65 per cent of total world graphite supplies in 2022.

“It is a common international practice to impose export controls on specific graphite items. As the world’s largest graphite producer and exporter, China has long been firmly fulfilling its international obligations, such as non-proliferation,” the country’s commerce ministry said in a statement.

“Based on the need to safeguard national security and interests, China has implemented export controls on specific graphite items in accordance with the law, and implemented temporary controls on some graphite items,” the ministry added.

As tech restrictions from the US and its allies - especially in the semiconductor sector - continue to rise, China has also tightened its grip on the export of critical minerals in a tit-for-tat action.

Earlier this week, the US imposed an export ban on China-specific Nvidia and Intel graphic processing units (GPUs).

In July, Beijing announced export controls on gallium and germanium, two key materials used in semiconductor manufacturing and “over which China holds a quasi-monopoly”.