Needle coke market monthly report（01.1-01.31）

Chinacarbon news: In January, overall domestic needle coke market performance seemed insipid. With Festival holiday approaching, all UHP graphite electrode producers saw drop in both production output and sales. Under the circumstance, producers were not in a hurry to replenish stocks. According to Chinacarbon, production at Shanxi Hongte Coal Chemical Industry and Jinzhou Petrochemical, two major needle coke producers in the country, are in halt at present. Hongte started to reduce needle coke production and then stopped it since late November, 2011. Its director said that the company’s total output posted only 30 thousand ton last year due to gloom macro economy and sluggish global market, and it is still not optimistic about market in the year to come. When to resume its production this year will depend on market performance. Moreover, Hongte Coal Chemical is in talks with SGL group on cooperation over UHP graphite electrode project at present.