Anode material market gives notable boost to needle coke market in June: monthly report

ICC News: Needle coke market overall showed lukewarm performance in June. On graphite electrode side, as its operation ratio remained low this month, its demand for raw material needle coke was limited.
Meanwhile, given the weak demand from downstream steel sector and electrode plants' eagerness to make shipment under pressure from various aspects, electrode price can only remain weak and stable in the short term.
On anode material market side, both the market and product price kept stable in June.
At present, offer prices for mainstream low-end anode materials in the country are around 18,000-22,000 yuan/mt, medium-grade products are around 45,000-65,000 yuan/mt, and high-end products are around 80,000-100,000 yuan/mt.
In general, anode material manufactures indicated that shipment was ok.
It's worth mentioning that the proportion of artificial graphite-based anode materials was getting increasingly higher; needle coke has drawn much interest and the shipments of needle coke were surging.
One overseas anode materials manufacture said the growth of demand has picked up enormously; they are planning to replenish at least 10kt-20kt stocks in July; product price offers also have come down to $500-550 per ton.
In June, Kaifeng Carbon Anshan Thermo-Energy New Material's coal needle coke production was in normal state; the volume of monthly sales was 2,000 tons, and monthly output was kept at 3,000-4,000 tons.
Production ran steadily at Jinzhou Petrochemical, with monthly capacity kept at 2,500 tons. Shanghai Baosteel Chemical's coal-based needle coke production was still in halt this month; its pitch coke production started late this month and would continue into next month; it carried 1,500 tons of stocks; due to the rising price of raw materials, its offer price for coal needle coke was 3,500-3,600 yuan/mt.
Jiangsu's C-Chem continued to maintain regular needle coke production this month.
It has a monthly output of 1,500 tons.
On overseas market, Japan's  M-grade PCJ Petrocokes petroleum needle coke is $550/ton and that of X-grade is $650/ton.
Philips 66's HNP petroleum needle coke is $500/ton and that of HSP product is $550/ton ( which is ex-warehouse price in bonded area).
As for coal-based needle coke, price from C-Chem, Mitsubishi Chemical and PMC are all $500 per ton.
Customs statistics show May's import volume of pitch coke was 8,440 tons; that of calcined petroleum coke with less than 0.8% of sulphur percentage by weight was 1,259 tons.
Graphite electrode performs steady at low levels, price overall stays stable in June: monthly report
ICC News: The market was running steadily at low levels in June.
Major domestic producers now were reducing the level of inventory by cutting back production.
Operating ratio basically maintained at 50-70 percent.
June's graphite electrode market was still looking at more supply than demand. Given the weak demand from downstream and plants' eagerness to make shipment under pressure from various aspects, electrode price can only keep weak and stable in the short term.
Moreover, with vicious competition intensifying on current market, it has become very hard for price to bounce back.
Despite of recent improvement in steel sector, graphite electrode enterprises still face intense competition for orders amid market oversupply as there weren't many new tenders from steelworks; the recovery in steel won't raise support to electrodes for the time being.
As of now, prevailing prices for domestic 300-600 mm graphite electrode are as follows: HP products are 9,000-11,000 yuan/ton, and UHP products are 12,000-16,000 yuan/ton.
Carbon enterprises' replenishing on calcined petroleum coke was going ok. Raw material low-sulphur petroleum coke market kept stable in June; calcined petroleum coke enterprises were still working to fulfill orders they received previously; their overall order intake was rather satisfactory.
Raw material needle coke market's operation ratio was stable in June. Major enterprises' shipments were ok; price basically kept at the same level as before.
Specifically, Kaifeng Carbon Anshan Thermo-Energy New Material's coal needle coke production was in normal state; the volume of monthly sales is 2,000 tons, and monthly output is kept at 3,000-4,000 tons.
Production ran steadily at Jinzhou Petrochemical this month, with monthly capacity kept at 2,500 tons right now. Shanghai Baosteel Chemical's coal-based needle coke production was still in halt this month; its pitch coke production started late this month and will continue into next month; right now, it carries 1,500 tons of stocks; due to the rising price of raw materials, market offer price for coal needle coke is 3,500-3,600 yuan/mt now.
Jiangsu's C-Chem continued to maintain regular needle coke production this week.
It has a monthly output of 1,500 tons.
On overseas market, Japan's  M-grade PCJ Petrocokes petroleum needle coke is $550/ton and that of X-grade is $650/ton.
Philips 66's HNP petroleum needle coke is $500/ton and that of HSP product is $550/ton ( which is ex-warehouse price in bonded area).
As for coal-based needle coke, price from C-Chem, Mitsubishi Chemical and PMC are all $500 per ton.
Customs statistics show May's import volume of pitch coke was 8,440 tons; that of calcined petroleum coke with less than 0.8% of sulphur percentage by weight was 1,259 tons.