For a country that does not mine graphite, the US uses an awful...

For a country that does not mine graphite, the US uses an awful lot of it in their industries, especially defence.

They rely heavily on China to supply natural graphite, which would be problematic if things turn nasty.

A good deal of the supply issue could be avoided by substituting high purity synthetic graphite (in applications where it is suitable).

If what we are hearing is correct, Hazer produced graphite will be suitable for much of what they require, including for anodes and for graphite lubricants.

"At the same time, graphite prospects and risk in the US defense sector should not be ignored. The US Government has a staggering volume of military equipment, with roughly 440,000 vehicles, 780 strategic missiles, 278 combat ships and 14,000 aircraft. In 2015,

US Department of Defense expenditures were in excess of US$587 billion, making it a very well-funded industry.

Suffice it to say, graphite has an array of applications in the defense sector: jet engine components, body armor and electronic systems to name few. A key market risk for the US defense sector is a material reliance on a geopolitical competitor that can create a shortage of natural graphite on a whim that would directly impede manufacturing of critical defense systems and equipment in the US."

https://investingnews.com/innspired/graphite-mining-in-the-us-national-security-defence-technologies/