Monthly Review: Cost-Driven Fluctuations in Coal Tar Pitch Prices in April

ICCSINO: This month, the market prices of coal tar pitch initially increased and then declined. By the end of the month, the price of modified pitch had fallen by 3.54% to RMB 5,400-5,500 per ton, while the price of medium-temperature pitch decreased by 0.88% to RMB 5,550-5,650 per ton. The fluctuations in coal tar pitch prices this month were mainly driven by fluctuations in the prices of raw material coal tar oil. Overall downstream demand was relatively weak, with mainstream prebaked anode enterprises purchasing based on rigid demand but showing poor acceptance of high-priced raw materials. Graphite electrode enterprises and coal-based needle coke enterprises had low operating rates, resulting in poor overall demand. Currently, the supply of coal tar pitch is relatively abundant, and there is still a possibility of a further decrease in the price of raw material coal tar oil. Downstream enterprises are maintaining their strategy of opportunistic price negotiation for purchases, and it is likely that the market price of coal tar pitch will continue to decline in the early stages of next month.