TLG - Media, page-15746

This Benchmark article is available to read. It is on America's tariff fight with China over measures to protect its car industry.

The relevance to Talga is that where America goes, Europe must follow else China will blow it apart.

Some comment on graphite (anodes) implications copied below

https://source.benchmarkminerals.com/article/us-hikes-tariffs-to-further-isolate-china-from-its-ev-supply-chain-ambitions?mc_cid=20671f1e1e&mc_eid=d20d9dc2ab

However, Benchmark analysis shows that the current ex-China flake graphite supply is insufficient to meet the global demand for graphite.

• China mined 76% of the global natural graphite in 2023, according to the Natural Graphite Forecast.
• China also has a monopoly on converting flake graphite flake graphite into the spherical graphite for battery anodes and is forecast to produce 98% of uncoated spherical graphite (USPG) in 2024 according to Benchmark’s Natural Graphite Forecast.
• The US imported 39,000 tonnes of flake graphite in 2023, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau. However, the majority of imported graphite is used for industrial applications not anode production.
• China currently accounts for close to 40% of flake graphite imports into the country. The levy of tariffs from 2026 may reduce US dependence on China but increase imports from other destinations such as Africa and Brazil.

The tariffs are likely to accelerate the ex-China natural graphite build out that has emerged in recent years.