The United States expects to import most of the natural graphite it needs for battery production over the next two decades and International Graphite aims to be on its preferred list of trusted near-shore suppliers.

IG6 Managing Director Andrew Worland and Chairman Phil Hearse headed to Washington DC to wave the flag for Australian graphite in one of the world’s fastest growing battery markets.

They were part of the official Australian delegation to the 10th annual SelectUSA Investment Summit hosted by the US Department of Commerce. The summit is the US Government’s biggest investment showcase attracting economic development leaders from 55 states.

Andrew Worland said the message from the summit was clear that the US is fully committed to diversifying its critical minerals supply away from China.

“For a development like ours it is incredibly heartening to hear so many US officials namecheck Australia as a supplier of choice for critical minerals,” he said.

“We’ve witnessed a seismic policy shift in the US where geopolitical considerations and the need to secure supply chains have markedly changed the investment landscape and customer demands in a way which will benefit Australian producers.

“The vertically integrated Springdale–Collie ‘mine to market’ graphite business we are building from Western Australia fits perfectly with the US desire to reduce its reliance on China and secure trusted, reliable sources of graphite.”

Download the IG6 SelectUSA presentation and find out why American lithium-ion batteries need Australian graphite.