America Imports Every Ounce of Its Natural Graphite. Can Alaska Change That?

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A Material Most People Never Think About

Graphite is best known as the "lead" in pencils. In reality, it is a core ingredient in the batteries that power electric vehicles, energy storage systems and everyday electronics. It also matters for defense equipment and the fast-growing computing infrastructure behind artificial intelligence.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS, the federal science agency that tracks mineral supplies) reports that the country was fully dependent on imports for natural graphite in 2025. Americans used an estimated 71,000 tons that year, and none of it was mined at home in any meaningful amount.

China is the main reason this matters. According to the USGS, it supplied about 46 percent of U.S. graphite imports between 2021 and 2024. It also produced roughly four-fifths of the world's natural graphite in 2025.

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Beijing Has Shown It Will Use Its Leverage

China does not just mine graphite. It also dominates the next step: refining it into the specialized material used in battery anodes (the negative side of a battery). Industry analysts have long pointed to this processing stage as the real bottleneck for Western manufacturers.

Beijing has not been shy about using that position. It introduced export licensing for certain graphite products in late 2023, citing national security. It later added tougher rules aimed at the United States.

The situation is currently on a short fuse. As part of a trade truce reached in late 2025, China paused some of its newest restrictions for one year. A pause on Chinese rules covering graphite battery materials ends on November 10, 2026. A separate pause on U.S.-specific restrictions for several minerals, including graphite, runs until November 27. Beijing has said these are suspensions, not repeals. Graphite licensing itself remains in force.

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Alaska's Pitch: Graphite Creek

Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy, writing in a Fox News opinion piece, argued that his state can help. He says Alaska holds 57 of the 60 minerals the federal government considers critical. His headline example is Graphite Creek, a deposit in the Kigluaik Mountains of the Seward Peninsula, roughly 60 kilometers (about 40 miles) north of the town of Nome.

The project is run by Graphite One, a Vancouver-based company. Its plan is to mine graphite in Alaska, turn it into concentrate, and ship it to a planned plant in Ohio that would make battery-grade anode material. The company's feasibility study counts on a mine life of at least 20 years, and it is targeting a production start in 2029.

Washington has shown interest. Graphite Creek was the first Alaska mining project added to the federal FAST-41 program, which sets public timetables for permit decisions across agencies. This happened in June 2025, under the Trump administration, which has made critical minerals a priority. The U.S. Export-Import Bank has also signaled interest in financing the project with up to $2 billion.

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The Catch: A Longer Road Than Advertised

Many observers expected a federal permit decision in late September 2026. That did not happen. In July, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the lead permitting agency, decided the project needs a full Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) instead of a lighter Environmental Assessment. An EIS is the most thorough type of federal environmental review.

The Corps now plans to finish the EIS by September 24, 2027, and issue its permit decision by September 30, 2027. That adds about a year to the earlier schedule. Graphite One says it supports the more thorough review and that the 2029 start date is not at risk, though that remains a company expectation, not a guarantee.

Public comments are open until November 1, 2026. The Corps held a public meeting in Nome on October 15, and a virtual meeting is scheduled for October 20.

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Local Voices Are Divided

Opinion in the region is mixed. The tribes of Teller, Mary's Igloo and Brevig Mission, the communities closest to the site, had pressed for a deeper review. They cite concerns about water, subsistence hunting and fishing, cultural resources and community health. Local reporting describes especially strong resistance in Teller and Brevig Mission.

At the same time, Alaska Native organizations are among the project's investors, and Bering Straits Native Corporation has backed the EIS route. Supporters see jobs and a rare chance to build a domestic supply chain. Critics see a large open-pit mine in a sensitive landscape, and they point out that the developer is a Canadian company.

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What to Watch Next

Three dates matter in the coming weeks. The public comment period ends on November 1. China's pause on its tougher export rules runs out on November 10. Its separate pause on U.S.-specific mineral restrictions ends on November 27.

Beyond that, the real test is whether the United States can build the whole chain, from mine to processing plant to battery factory. Digging graphite is only half the job. As long as most of the refining happens in China, new mines alone will not end the dependence.

For now, Alaska's graphite remains a promise on paper. Whether it becomes a strategic asset will depend on permits, financing and the trust of the communities who live closest to it.

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Sources

1. U.S. Geological Survey, Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Graphite (Natural): https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2026/mcs2026-graphite.pdf
2. Nome Nugget, "Graphite One permitting: US Army Corps to hold meeting in Nome": https://www.nomenugget.com/news/graphite-one-permitting-us-army-corps-hold-meeting-nome
3. KNBA / Alaska Public Media, "Not so fast, US Army Corps tells Graphite One" (July 13, 2026): https://www.knba.org/news/2026-07-13/not-so-fast-us-army-corps-tells-graphite-one
4. The Northern Miner, "Graphite One eyes September permit call for project": https://www.northernminer.com/news/graphite-one-eyes-september-permit-call-for-project/1003890400/
5. CSIS, "China's New Graphite Restrictions": https://www.csis.org/analysis/chinas-new-graphite-restrictions
6. Referently, "China's Critical Mineral Export Controls: Timeline" (truce suspension dates): https://referently.com/chinas-critical-mineral-export-controls-gallium-germanium-antimony-graphite-and-rare-earths-timeline/
7. Tech Times, "Congress Moves to Break China Rare Earth Grip Before November Deadline" (Oct. 6, 2026): https://www.techtimes.com/articles/328654/20261006/congress-moves-break-china-rare-earth-grip-before-november-deadline.htm
8. Fox News, opinion piece by Gov. Mike Dunleavy (Alaska's position and the 57-of-60 claim): https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/america-depends-too-much-china-essential-minerals-need-dig-future

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