Prebaked Anode Exports Shrunk Sharply in June amid the Growing Domestic Demand

SHANGHAI, Jul 28 (SMM) - According to customs data, in June 2022, China exported 131,300 mt of prebaked anodes, a decrease of 37.95% from the previous month and 16.48% from the same period last year, hitting an annual low. Meanwhile, according to the total amount of customs, the export unit price of prebaked anodes reached a record high of $1,316.67/mt. In 2022, China's cumulative exports reached 1,017,300 mt, a year-on-year increase of 26.69%.
The prebaked anodes were mainly exported to Canada, followed by Norway and the United Arab Emirates. The export to Malaysia decreased in June. According to some enterprises, the drop in export volume was mainly caused by the delivery cycle of the ships, but there was no news of production cuts in overseas aluminium factories.
SMM Comment: Compared with May, the export of prebaked anode decreased by 80,300 mt in June. However, due to the influence of environmental protection and the number of days, the domestic output in June decreased by 12,300 mt to 1,867,700 mt, reflecting the growing demand for prebaked anode after the increase in domestic aluminium production. According to the SMM research, in July, most carbon enterprises produced normally based on their orders, and the production increase plan of downstream aluminium plants has not changed. It is expected that the demand for prebaked anodes will rise, so the export volume may remain stable in July.