GLOBAL GRAPHITE SNAPSHOT: 194 cif Europe price rises, coronavirus heightens seasonal shortage
By Jon Stibbs, Sybil Pan
Published: Thursday, 06 February 2020
Key data from the graphite pricing sessions in Asia and Europe for the week ended Thursday February 6.
|
Graphite flake, 94% C, +100
mesh, cif Europe
|
650
|
640
|
+1.6
|
|
Graphite flake, 94% C, -100 mesh, cif Europe
|
470
|
470
|
0
|
|
Graphite flake, 94% C, +80 mesh, cif Europe
|
820
|
820
|
0
|
|
Graphite Flake, 94% C, +100 mesh, fob
China
|
690
|
690
|
0
|
|
Graphite Flake, 94% C, -100 mesh, fob China
|
540
|
540
|
0
|
|
Graphite Flake, 94% C, +80% mesh, fob China
|
820
|
820
|
0
|
|
Graphite Spherical, 99.95% C, 15 microns
|
2,500-2,600
|
2,500-2,600
|
0
|
|
Graphite Amorphous, 80% C, -200 mesh
|
320-340
|
320-340
|
0
|
China
- The graphite markets were quiet, mainly due to the
extension of the Chinese new year holiday break to February
10 because of the coronavirus outbreak.
- Supply of 94% C, +100 mesh (+194), fob China, flake
remained tight due to the seasonal halt in Heilongjiang
province and the operational closures resulting from environmental
regulations, which remain in place until the end of the
Chinese new year holiday.
- Amorphous graphite producers waited to make offers and
return to normal production until after the coronavirus
outbreak. They indicated prices could tick up after the
closures because inventories will have been run down in the
meantime.
Europe
- Seasonal shutdowns exacerbated supply issues caused by
the coronavirus to tighten supply of +194 material, which has
resulted in higher prices.
- The reductions in supply of other grades of graphite were
reported to ease the over-supply in the market rather than to
increase prices in the short term.
- Market participants found some amorphous producers in
China were reluctant to commit to competitive offers they
might not be able to fulfil, because of the logistical
problems connected to coronavirus.
The VIU was updated on January 2 for the
first quarter of 2020 to 5.9% from 6.7% in the fourth quarter
of 2019.
The Carbon-VIU measures, in percentage terms, the price value
of one extra % of carbon content as seen in the market.
The VIU is calculated using statistical methods and the large
amount of prices and data collected by Fastmarkets. The VIU
shown is the value implied by the market and not an in-house
assessment.
An example of what the Carbon-VIU means practically: A
published Carbon-VIU of 7% means that material with 95%
carbon content is priced by the market, on average, 7%
more expensive than 94% carbon content material, assuming
other factors are equal.
Likewise, it means that 96% carbon content material
would be 7% more expensive than 95% material and that 97%
carbon content material would be 7% more expensive than
96%, or 21% more expensive than 94% carbon.
For more information or to provide feedback on this
graphite snapshot or if you would like to contribute to
the price discovery process, please contact Jon Stibbs or
Sybil Pan by email at:
pricing@indmin.com. Please add the subject heading
"FAO: Jon Stibbs/Sybil Pan – graphite."