ICCSINO: This month, the overall operation of the needle coke market was good, with downstream anode material manufacturers actively purchasing goods. Most of them placed orders in advance, and by the end of the month, some needle coke factories had locked in their production quotas for June. In the first ten days of this month, the price of raw needle coke increased slightly, while in the latter ten days, it remained stable. Graphite electrode manufacturers' purchasing power was average, and the overall demand was weak. On the supply side, the overall supply of needle coke increased this month, with many needle coke manufacturers focusing on the production of raw needle coke. Some Shandong needle coke manufacturers began to conduct planned maintenance on their new and old production lines in rotation. At the end of the month, the second-phase needle coke production line of Jinzhou Petrochemical resumed production, temporarily producing raw needle coke. In June, Yantai Yida plans to put its new needle coke production line into operation, and a coal-based needle coke manufacturer in Anshan will resume production. It is expected that the supply of needle coke in the market will further increase in June. On the price side, by the end of the month, the price of coal-based needle coke ranged from 7,500 to 8,500 yuan per ton, while the mainstream price of oil-based needle coke was between 5,800 and 8,200 yuan per ton. The price of raw needle coke from coal and oil was 5,200 to 5,600 yuan per ton. In the import and export market, the price of Japanese coal-based needle coke increased by 58.33% to 950 US dollars per ton, while Korean coal-based needle coke was priced at 850 US dollars per ton. For oil-based needle coke, the price in Japan ranged from 1,100 to 1,300 US dollars per ton, while the price of calcined needle coke in the UK was between 1,100 and 1,300 US dollars per ton, and the price of anode coke was 650 to 800 US dollars per ton.
Regarding raw materials, the overall price trend of raw materials this month was downward. In terms of coal tar pitch, by the end of the month, the price of modified coal tar pitch had dropped by 7.8% to 4,950-5,100 yuan per ton, and the price of medium-temperature coal tar pitch had decreased by 8.04% to 5,100-5,200 yuan per ton. The continuous decline in the price of coal tar pitch dragged down the price of coal tar pitch, resulting in sustained losses for coal tar pitch enterprises and a gradual decline in their operating rates. At the same time, the overall demand for coal tar pitch was poor, leading to a weak state of supply and demand in the market, and the price continued to decline. However, coal-based needle coke still suffered significant losses, and most manufacturers could not start production. Regarding low-sulfur oil slurry, its price overall decreased from the beginning of the month, with a slight rebound at the end of the month. By the end of the month, the price ranged from 4,100 to 4,450 yuan per ton. The overall shipment of low-sulfur oil slurry was average this month, coupled with the poor performance of the refined oil product industry, which led to a decline in the price of oil slurry. At the end of the month, the shipment of low-sulfur oil slurry slightly recovered, and the price of oil slurry increased slightly. This once again increased the cost pressure on oil-based needle coke manufacturers. With the improvement in demand and the strengthening of the refined oil product market, the price of low-sulfur oil slurry is expected to rise next month.
On the downstream side, the graphite electrode market performed weakly this month, with a downward trend in prices. By the end of the month, the mainstream price of UHP600 graphite electrodes ranged from 17,000 to 18,000 yuan per ton. The overall operating rate of graphite electrode manufacturers was low, and the demand for raw materials was poor. The electric arc furnace steel market could not recover in the short term, and graphite electrode manufacturers will maintain rigid demand procurement. In terms of anode materials, the demand for needle coke from anode material manufacturers continued to be strong this month. These manufacturers actively negotiated orders with needle coke manufacturers, and their price acceptance ability improved slightly. Some large anode manufacturers locked in their orders in advance, and the procurement rhythm of anode materials next month.
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