Needle coke market monthly report（12.1-12.31）

Chinacarbon news: This month, overall needle coke market was stabilizing. Right now, petroleum-based Seadrift needle coke stand at 2,659USD/MT and ConocoPhillips needle coke are 2,300 USD/MT. Coal-based needle coke from Japan-based Mitsubishi are 1,800 USD/MT. It is learnt that this round of price rise in needle coke exported to China didn’t trigger follow-up activities by domestic needle coke producers. Given slowing pace of international economic growth, domestic macro environment didn’t provide support for demand improvement in the fourth quarter, and macro regulation policies wouldn’t create effective adjustment. Under the circumstances, domestic needle coke enterprises didn’t blindly follow the steps but kept selling prices stable by maintaining production stable or reducing production. Anshan-based Thermal Energy Research Institute of Sino-steel Group produces 40,000 tons of needle coke per annum, and price of calcined coke stands at 9,500 yuan/mt. A Japan-based enterprise noted that most parameters of needle coke from Anshan Thermal Energy have caught up with that from its overseas counterparts; the company has been conducting tests on products from Anshan Thermal Energy and will consider signing long-term cooperation agreement once products pass tests.