China’s Supply Chain Stranglehold on America Breaking, New NY Mine Ends 70 Year Drought [WATCH]

The United States has reopened its first graphite mine in nearly 70 years as part of a broader effort under President Donald Trump to reduce dependence on China for critical minerals used in batteries, energy storage, and national defense.

The development was highlighted during a Fox Business segment with Maria Bartiromo, who introduced a report from correspondent Jeff Flock, broadcast live from a graphite processing site in Gouverneur, New York.

“US, companies are ramping up graphite mine production to fulfill a booming demand for batteries and rely less on China for rare earth magnets,” Bartiromo said.

“Fox Business’s. Jeff fFlock is live from a mine in Gouverneur, New York, this morning, with more on this push for graphite, Jeff.”

Flock described the significance of the operation, noting that it marks the first time graphite has been mined domestically since the 1950s.

“Talk about bringing industry back to the US. Maria, bringing mining back to the US,” Flock said.

“You are looking right now at the processing of the first graphite mined in the US since the 1950s, pretty amazing when it comes to it graphite.”

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Flock explained that graphite exists in small flecks within rock and must be separated through an extensive processing method.

“Know much about graphite? It’s in rock, little flecks of it in rock, so it has to be harvested out,” he said.

“This is a rock that they’ve mined. I want to show you the process here, and also want to talk to the CEO.”

The graphite deposit was discovered by Titan Mining while the company was searching for zinc. Flock spoke with Titan Mining CEO Rita Adiani at the site.

“This mine deposit that they found. This is a zinc mine, and I’ve got the CEO of Titan mining, Rita Adiani,” Flock said.

“You have a zinc mine here. You stumbled upon graphite?”

“Yes, absolutely,” Adiani said. “So we have 120,000 acre mineral rights package. We went looking for zinc, and we found graphite.”

Flock asked Adiani to explain what viewers were seeing during the processing stage.

“And now graphite is huge. This is the processing of a What am I looking at right here? If I can see,” he said.

“So, what you’re looking at here is the mine drop that we get from the ground,” Adiani said.

“We take that, and we concentrate that up to very high levels of graphite.”

She said the processing system produces graphite with an unusually high level of purity.

“So the float floatation circuit that you’re seeing here is about 95 to 99% graphite,” Adiani said.

Flock emphasized how dependent the United States currently is on foreign graphite supplies, particularly from China.

“And you get almost all graphite,” Flock said.

“The other thing about this, Maria, is that we get most put the number up. It almost amazed me. All of our graphite now is imported. Most of it comes from China. 42%?”

“Absolutely,” Adiani responded.

“And that’s why it’s a very unique proposition being a domestic producer, because it’s a national security issue.”

Flock noted that federal policy now requires domestic sourcing for certain materials.

“I was going to say, Department of War now mandates that we’re going to have to get this stuff from here,” he said.

“Yes,” Adiani said.

“So, under the NDAA, there are severe restrictions on procurement, and again, that’s why we play a very crucial role.”

Flock said the mine is expected to be the first domestic supplier to sell graphite commercially in the United States.

“This will be the first mine to go online in terms of selling graphite here in the US,” he said.

“Maria, you know, China can turn it on and off. Important to make it here.”

He added that graphite now plays a critical role far beyond traditional uses.

“And it’s great to see mining coming back in the US graphite, not just in your pencils anymore, but as you point out, in batteries and defense, very important exactly,” Flock said.

Bartiromo praised the development as a major step toward restoring American supply chains.

“I love this,” Bartiromo said.

“This is so great to see this kind of ramp up and supply chain in America.”

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