US graphite production resumes for first time since 1950s
FOX Business’ Jeff Flock joins Mornings with Maria to report on America’s first graphite mine in decades and the push to reduce U.S. dependence on China for critical minerals.
New York State is now experiencing a quiet recovery, highlighting a major shift in America’s industrial and national security priorities.
Titan Mining began processing America’s first newly produced graphite as far back as the 1950s, transforming the ordinary-looking rock into a material now considered essential for everything from advanced batteries to modern weapons systems.
For most people, graphite brings to mind pencils. However, it has become the backbone of the energy and defense economy. The metal is a key component in lithium-ion batteries that power electric cars, drones, communications equipment and military equipment. It is also used in nuclear reactors, missiles, and high-temperature industrial applications, giving it a broad role in both everyday technology and national defense.
For decades, the United States has allowed its graphite supply chain to move slowly offshore. Today, all US graphite is imported, and about 42% of it comes from our biggest opponent, China. Reliance on a single foreign supplier has transformed graphite from an essential mineral into a growing national security concern as competition between the United States and China intensifies.
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Rita Adiani, CEO of Titan Mining, pointed out those risks directly.
“…That is why being a local producer is a very unique proposition because it is a national security issue,” Adiani said.
These pressures have fueled a growing political response in Washington. Under the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), federal agencies face severe restrictions on obtaining critical materials from foreign adversaries. This puts local graphite projects like Titan directly into the spotlight.
“…Under the National Defense Authorization Act there are strict restrictions on procurement, and again that is why we play a very crucial role,” Adiani said.
Adiani emphasized how unexpected discoveries could reshape the country’s resource map.
“So we have a 120,000-acre mineral rights package. We went looking for zinc, and we found graphite,” she said.
She explained how raw rocks are transformed into a highly purified material on site.
“What you’re looking at here is the extracted rock that we get from the ground. We take it and concentrate it down to very high levels of graphite… the flotation circuit you see here is about 95 to 99 percent graphite.”
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As Washington tightens procurement rules and US industries look to secure stable supplies, graphite is transforming from a niche material to a strategic resource. The reopening of US production adds a new chapter to how those supply chains can be rebuilt.
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2026-01-17 12:00:00
