These Countries Control the EV Battery Supply Chain

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One of the biggest impediments in the U.S. transition to electric vehicles is an unreliable supply chain. Some of the most important elements in an EV battery – graphite, aluminum, nickel, copper, manganese, cobalt, and lithium – are concentrated in tiny pockets around the world, giving a small handful of countries disproportionate power in the EV supply chain.

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Some countries control more than half of the global supply of certain EV-critical minerals. China, for example, produces 76.9% of the world’s mined graphite, while the Democratic Republic of the Congo produces 73.9% of the world’s mined cobalt. A look at recent data from the U.S. Geological Survey reveals the countries with the greatest chokeholds on the global EV battery supply chain.

To determine the countries that control the EV battery supply chain, Climate Crisis 247 reviewed data on mineral production from the U.S. Geological Survey’s 2024 Mineral Commodity Survey. Countries were ranked based on the production of any one EV-critical mineral – graphite, aluminum, nickel, copper, manganese, cobalt, and lithium – as a percentage of total global production. All data is for 2023.

16. Canada

• Most highly concentrated EV-critical mineral: Nickel (5.0% of global production)
• Annual mine production of Lithium: 180,000 metric tons
• Other EV-critical minerals produced: Lithium, aluminum, cobalt, copper, graphite

 

15. Argentina

• Most highly concentrated EV-critical mineral: Lithium (5.3% of global production)
• Annual mine production of Lithium: 9,600 metric tons
• Other EV-critical minerals produced: N/A

 

14. Russia

• Most highly concentrated EV-critical mineral: Nickel (5.6% of global production)
• Annual mine production of Lithium: 200,000 metric tons
• Other EV-critical minerals produced: Aluminum, cobalt, copper, graphite

 

13. India

• Most highly concentrated EV-critical mineral: Aluminum (5.9% of global production)
• Annual mine production of Lithium: 4,100,000 metric tons
• Other EV-critical minerals produced: Manganese, graphite

 

12. Mozambique

• Most highly concentrated EV-critical mineral: Graphite (6.0% of global production)
• Annual mine production of Lithium: 96,000 metric tons
• Other EV-critical minerals produced: N/A

 

11. Madagascar

• Most highly concentrated EV-critical mineral: Graphite (6.3% of global production)
• Annual mine production of Lithium: 100,000 metric tons
• Other EV-critical minerals produced: Cobalt

 

10. New Caledonia

• Most highly concentrated EV-critical mineral: Nickel (6.4% of global production)
• Annual mine production of Lithium: 230,000 metric tons
• Other EV-critical minerals produced: Cobalt

 

9. Philippines

• Most highly concentrated EV-critical mineral: Nickel (11.1% of global production)
• Annual mine production of Lithium: 400,000 metric tons
• Other EV-critical minerals produced: Cobalt

 

8. Peru

• Most highly concentrated EV-critical mineral: Copper (11.8% of global production)
• Annual mine production of Lithium: 2,600,000 metric tons
• Other EV-critical minerals produced: N/A

 

7. Gabon

• Most highly concentrated EV-critical mineral: Manganese (23.0% of global production)
• Annual mine production of Lithium: 4,600,000 metric tons
• Other EV-critical minerals produced: N/A

 

6. Chile

• Most highly concentrated EV-critical mineral: Lithium (24.4% of global production)
• Annual mine production of Lithium: 44,000 metric tons
• Other EV-critical minerals produced: Copper

 

5. South Africa

• Most highly concentrated EV-critical mineral: Manganese (36.0% of global production)
• Annual mine production of Lithium: 7,200,000 metric tons
• Other EV-critical minerals produced: N/A

 

4. Australia

• Most highly concentrated EV-critical mineral: Lithium (47.8% of global production)
• Annual mine production of Lithium: 86,000 metric tons
• Other EV-critical minerals produced: Aluminum, nickel, manganese, cobalt, copper

 

3. Indonesia

• Most highly concentrated EV-critical mineral: Nickel (50.0% of global production)
• Annual mine production of Lithium: 1,800,000 metric tons
• Other EV-critical minerals produced: Cobalt, copper

 

2. Democratic Republic of the Congo

• Most highly concentrated EV-critical mineral: Cobalt (73.9% of global production)
• Annual mine production of Lithium: 170,000 metric tons
• Other EV-critical minerals produced: Copper

 

1. China

• Most highly concentrated EV-critical mineral: Graphite (76.9% of global production)
• Annual mine production of Lithium: 1,230,000 metric tons
• Other EV-critical minerals produced: Lithium, aluminum, nickel, manganese, copper

 

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