[SMM Aluminum] Aluminum Fluoride Prices Diverge as High Costs Persist; Fluorite Market Stays Strong

[SMM Aluminum Express] On July 18, the Chenfeng Carbon Green and Energy-Saving Integrated Project of Qiya Xinjiang Group achieved another critical construction breakthrough as its core baking workshop successfully completed equipment installation and officially entered the full-line interlocking commissioning phase. This milestone, following the trial production at the assembly workshop on June 15, means that the project’s entire production process has been fully integrated, bringing it one step closer to formal commissioning. The project is a core supporting initiative for Qiya Xinjiang Group to complete the “coal – electricity – aluminum – carbon” integrated industry chain. Located in the Zhundong Economic and Technological Development Zone in Changji, Xinjiang, it is planned to produce 200kt of prebaked anodes annually, aiming to supply high-quality prebaked anodes for the group’s internal aluminum production, thereby ensuring self-sufficiency and reducing dependence on external procurement and logistics costs.

[SMM Aluminum Flash] On July 23, SHFE aluminum futures warrants registered at 362,106 mt, down 3,490 mt from the previous trading day; over the past week, SHFE aluminum futures warrants have cumulatively fallen by 19,127 mt, a decrease of 5.02%; over the past month, SHFE aluminum futures warrants have cumulatively fallen by 115,128 mt, a decrease of 24.12%.

[SMM Aluminum Bulletin] This week, the coal tar pitch market continued to weaken. As of Thursday, the average price of coal tar pitch was 4,705 yuan/mt, down 3.35% WoW. On the cost side, high-temperature coal tar remained weak; operating rates at coal tar deep-processing enterprises increased, leaving ample commercial pitch supply in circulation and an overall loose supply picture. Downstream, prebaked anode consumption stayed rigid, supported by high aluminum capacity, but with raw material inventories at high levels, buyers pushed for lower prices and insisted on need-based purchasing. Weak demand from secondary downstream sectors such as carbon black failed to provide a boost, and trading was thin. In the near term, under loose supply-demand conditions, coal tar pitch will likely consolidate at lows on a weak note.