Cost-Push and Tight Supply Drive Up Artificial Graphite Price Center [SMM Lithium Battery Anode Raw Material Market Weekly Review]

SMM August 6:

This week, China's artificial graphite anode material prices showed an upward trend. The supply-demand relationship maintained the earlier tight pattern of spot effective supply. On the cost side, raw material prices continued to climb, coupled with a backlog of costs from the previous period that had not yet been fully absorbed. Currently, cost support remains strong, and anode enterprises have a strong willingness to push up prices. For natural graphite, end-use demand was weak, and downstream buyers generally pushed for lower prices, creating a subdued market trading atmosphere. However, since prices have been hovering near the cost line for a long time, the tug-of-war between buyers and sellers entered a stalemate, and further downside room is limited.

Looking ahead, artificial graphite, benefiting from improving demand, tight supply, and gradual cost pass-through, is expected to see its price center steadily rise. Natural graphite, due to insufficient demand-side driving force, is likely to mainly consolidate on a weak note in the short term, with a market breakout awaiting new catalysts.

SMM New Energy Research Team

Wang Cong 021-51666838

Ma Rui 021-51595780

Feng Disheng 021-51666714

Lv Yanlin 021-20707875

Zhang Haohan 021-51666752

Wang Zihan 021-51666914

Wang Jie 021-51595902

Chen Bolin 021-51666836

Xu Yang 021-51666760

Xu Mengqi 021-20707868

Hu Xuejie 021-20707858

Yang Le 021-51595898

Wang Zhaoyu 021-51666827

Li Yisha 021-51666730

Huang Chencong 021-51595860

Lin Ziya 021-5166-6902