Excess Supply May Push Anode Prices Down In The Short Term

SHANGHAI, Aug 23 (SMM) –

In the week ending August 17, anode material prices remained low. Low-sulphur petroleum coke prices stayed stable. Despite recent crude oil price declines, oil-based needle coke prices have held steady, with manufacturers still achieving a marginal profit.

Graphitisation: Recent outsourced orders rose slightly because of downstream stockpiling. However, due to greater integration among anode companies and an oversupply of graphitisation, outsourced graphitisation prices remained low. Anode manufacturers improved their inventory after H1 2023 de-stocking. With demand rebounding, operation rates have increased slightly. Still, there's an overcapacity in anode production, so demand recovery must be watched closely. Excess supply may push anode prices down in the short term.