[SMM Weekly Review: Raw Material Prices Mixed, Anode Material Prices Stable]

SMM News April 25th:

Anode material prices remained stable this week. In terms of costs, some refineries of Sinopec and China National Offshore Oil Corporation lowered their low-sulfur petroleum coke prices. Currently, downstream demand for low-sulfur coke is relatively limited, providing insufficient support for previous high prices. Low-sulfur coke is expected to fluctuate slightly in the future. Inquiries and orders for oil-based needle coke for May production have started, with prices rising slightly. Outsourced graphitized prices are temporarily stable with no major fluctuations. Regarding demand, terminal demand continues to grow, boosting anode production capacity utilization. However, as sales recover, new anode capacity is being released, and the industry's overcapacity issue remains severe. Market competition is intense, and downstream price wars continue, putting significant downward pressure on anode product prices. Consequently, anode material prices remain weak.