Refractories remain the most important end use, accounting for around 33% of total global demand for natural graphite. The main driver for growth in demand for graphite-containing refractories has been increasing steel production in Asia, particularly China. Future growth in this sector is unlikely to track recovering steel output as unit consumption of refractory material per tonne of steel is falling in both China and the CIS as new steel mills are installed.

China is by far the largest producer and consumer of natural graphite. In 2008, it accounted for around 80% of supply, although the rate at which mine production has grown has slowed to 1.6%py since 2001. In contrast, output in Brazil, Sri Lanka and North Korea has increased at higher rates ranging from 3.5%py to over 6%py. Increasing demand for flake graphite has led to a number of potential developments outside China that could add a total of 70,000tpy to global supply.