China imported around 12 million tons of raw and processed battery metals, accounting for 44% of global trade in this sector, and exported nearly 11 million tons of batteries and their components, equivalent to 58% of global interregional trade in 2023.
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, China imported about 20% of the processed metals used in global battery manufacturing in 2023, with the vast majority being cobalt imported from Africa.
In the same year, China exported approximately 58% of the world’s processed battery metals, with the bulk of these exports consisting of synthetic graphite, mainly shipped to countries in Asia and Oceania
