Titan Mining (TSX:TI,OTCQB:TIMCF) is on track to start producing natural graphite concentrate at its Empire State operation in Gouverneur, New York, positioning itself as the first near-term US supplier.
“China’s decision to tighten graphite exports underscores the importance of having a secure domestic supply of natural graphite,” said Titan President and CEO Rita Adiani in a Tuesday (October 14) release. “Natural graphite touches every strategic sector — from defense to energy to AI data centers — and the U.S. currently produces none of it.
“Titan is changing that by re-establishing natural flake graphite production and high-purity graphite processing here at home to support the technologies and systems that keep America strong,” she added.
Titan’s integrated demonstration facility will process material from the company’s wholly owned Kilbourne deposit, which is adjacent to the Empire State operation. The program is designed to validate commercial-scale recoveries and produce offtake samples for US and allied industrial, defense and energy customers.
Commissioning of the facility is expected this quarter, with customer qualification in Q1 2026.
If the demonstration phase is successful, Titan’s plan is for a commercial-scale facility to eventually ramp up to 40,000 metric tons per year, which is enough to meet roughly half of current US natural graphite demand.
The announcement from Titan comes as China, which dominates global graphite supply, expands its export controls on key materials. In recent months, Beijing has imposed new restrictions on artificial graphite and blended anode materials under MOFCOM Announcement No. 58 (2025); it has put similar curbs on rare earths.
The measures are expected to further strain global feedstock availability for electric vehicle and battery manufacturing, intensifying pressure on western countries to develop their own supply chains.
Titan’s move also coincides with growing US government efforts to rebuild domestic capacity in critical minerals.
In August, the Department of Energy announced nearly US$1 billion in new funding opportunities to boost mining and processing of such minerals, including graphite. A recent study from the University of Michigan found that the US holds enough natural graphite reserves — over 7 million metric tons — to meet projected demand through 2040.
However, the research underscores major economic and quality hurdles.
“Currently, China dominates the global supply of graphite and there are concerns about supply chain security,” said Gregory Keoleian, professor at the University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability.
While US deposits are sufficient, they are of lower grade than those found abroad, making domestic production costlier. Despite these challenges, the researchers argue that US production could deliver both climate and strategic benefits.
“We also looked at the carbon footprint of graphite and it’s likely that there would be a decrease in greenhouse gas emissions with production in the United States compared with China,” Keoleian added.
Securities Disclosure: I, Giann Liguid, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.