The Graphite Electrode (GE) prices in China which were on a roll especially since latter half of 2017 observed a downtrend in Apr’18 amid its increased availability in the market. With this the steel mills gained some bargaining power and were able to negotiate with the GE producers for prices.
The GE prices in Apr’18 UHP grade 600mm were assessed at RMB 107,848/MT (USD 16,996/MT), UHP 450mm GE were at RMB 81360/MT (USD 12,823/MT) and HP grade 450mm GE were at RMB 74,809/MT (USD 11,789/MT) as reported by IC Carbon.
| Specifications | Prices | M-o-M Change |
| UHP 600 mm | RMB 107,848/MT (USD 16,996/MT) | -20% |
| UHP 450 mm | RMB 81360/MT (USD 12,823/MT) | -14% |
| HP 450 mm | RMB 74,809/MT (USD 11,789/MT) | -13% |
Source: IC Carbon
In Apr’18, China’s key Graphite Electrode producers produced a total of 47,200 tons of graphite electrodes, an increase of 3.5% against the corresponding month of previous year.
According to statistics from the Carbon Industry Association, the total export volume of graphite electrodes in China in first three months 2018 (Jan-Apr) was 57,779 tonnes, an increase of 53% over the same period of last year.
Needle coke prices used for the production of graphite electrode remained stable during the month. The price of coal based needle coke hovered around RMB 21,000/MT (USD 3,308/MT) and of oil based needle coke was around RMB 26,000/MT (USD 4,096/MT).
Steel mills in China are likely to have concluded their purchase of Graphite Electrode in the beginning of May month. It has been also observed that when GE prices were high in China buyers showed higher interest in making purchases and that too for larger quantities whereas when GE prices are going down steel plants are placing frequent purchase order but in smaller quantities.
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