Starting from 2026, the global regulations on graphite import and export have continued to tighten. High-purity bulk graphite blanks with a purity of over 99.9% and high-end machined graphite products have been included in the dual-use items control list by many countries. Export to Europe, America, and Southeast Asia requires prior special permission, and the frequency of customs inspections has significantly increased. Many enterprises have encountered cargo seizures and hefty fines due to incomplete documents and incorrect product names. Under this background, powder integrated molding resin composite bipolar plates, with a lower control level, have become the core category for foreign trade enterprises to stabilize their overseas presence.
The molded graphite plates are formed by mixing graphite powder with thermosetting resin and do not belong to high-purity single-phase pure graphite products. The import and export declaration procedures are more simplified, effectively reducing the compliance risks for enterprises. At the same time, all countries around the world are simultaneously raising environmental protection standards. All imported industrial graphite consumables need to provide RoHS heavy metal detection reports and meet ASTM and ISO testing specifications. Suppliers with large-scale production capabilities can provide overseas customers with complete English test documents for each batch, including core indicators such as density, conductivity, air tightness, and bending strength, to meet the hard requirements of project bidding and overseas factory inspection.
In the EU and Australian energy storage project tenders, products with low-carbon manufacturing processes have received bonus points. Powder integrated hot pressing molding almost does not produce graphite waste, and the carbon footprint is easier to complete accounting and comparison; traditional machined graphite plates generate a large amount of waste, resulting in higher carbon emissions, and the import cost continues to rise under the carbon tariff mechanism. The combination of multiple policies has accelerated the shift of overseas purchasers to purchase composite molded graphite plates.
From a trade practice perspective, molded graphite plates support customized drawings, thickness adjustment, and selection of impregnation processes, and are suitable for the entire series of 1kW–30kW air-cooled hydrogen-electric stacks and household vanadium liquid flow energy storage stacks. In the first half of 2026, the domestic export volume of molded graphite plates increased by 67.2% year-on-year, and the order growth rate of small and medium-sized graphite factories was significantly higher than the industry average. The core competitive advantages are concentrated in three points: moderate production threshold, low export control risks, and adaptation to the purchasing habits of global small and medium-sized new energy equipment manufacturers.
Industry experts suggest that in the future, foreign trade competition will no longer solely rely on low prices. Compliance documents, process stability, and technical service capabilities have become increasingly important. Domestic graphite product enterprises should focus on the development of the composite molded graphite bipolar plate track, avoid the red sea market of high-purity pure graphite control, and deeply cultivate small and medium-sized energy stack customers in Southeast Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. Relying on the advantages of compliance, cost, and delivery, they can continuously expand their global market share.
