GLOBAL GRAPHITE SNAPSHOT: Prices stable but freight costs, new material sources add uncertainty
By Jon Stibbs, Sybil Pan
Published: Thursday, 04 March 2021
Key data from the graphite pricing sessions in Asia and Europe for the week ended Thursday March 4.
|
Assessment (in $ per tonne) |
This week's price |
Previous week's price |
Weekly % change |
|
Graphite flake, 94% C, +100 mesh, cif Europe |
925 |
925 |
0 |
|
Graphite flake, 94% C, -100 mesh, cif Europe |
600 |
600 |
0 |
|
Graphite flake, 94% C, +80 mesh, cif Europe |
1,020 |
1,020 |
0 |
|
Graphite flake, 94% C, +100 mesh, fob China |
890 |
890 |
0 |
|
Graphite flake, 94% C, -100 mesh, fob China |
560 |
560 |
0 |
|
Graphite flake, 94% C, +80% mesh, fob China |
1,100 |
1,100 |
0 |
|
Graphite spherical, 99.95% C, 15 microns, fob China
|
2,500-2,750 |
2,500-2,750 |
0 |
|
Graphite amorphous, 80% C, -200 mesh, fob China |
315-360 |
315-360 |
0 |
|
Graphite amorphous, 80-85% C, -200 mesh, cif Europe
|
405-515 |
405-515 |
0 |
China
- The flake graphite markets were stable and the spot
seaborne market was quiet. Demand was recovering only slowly,
with business having performed better before the Lunar New
Year holiday, industry participants said.
- News of Syrah Resources’ restart
has not affected market sentiment in the short term. But
there was concern among some market participants that
additional material from Syrah could disrupt the current
supply-demand balance.
- The spherical graphite market remained quiet for a fifth
consecutive session after rising at the end of January.
Europe
- The European flake graphite market was stable but
there were reports of considerable pricing uncertainty due to
variable transportation costs, especially from China, and the
availability of material.
- Strength in the steel market in Eastern Europe has
trickled down into increased buying appetite for graphite
flake 94% C, +100 mesh, cif Europe, with availability seen as
a more important selling factor than price, according to one
market participant.
Following consultation with the market, Fastmarkets
will price the amorphous graphite markets during the third week
of every month. Prices shown relate to February 18, with the
next assessment due on March 18.
Graphite flake premium calculator
The Value in Use (VIU) was updated to 5% on January 1 for the
first quarter of 2021 from 4.8% in the fourth quarter of
2021.
|
Adjustment |
This quarter's VIU |
Previous quarter's VIU |
Quarterly change |
|
Carbon VIU in % |
5 |
4.8 |
0.2 |
The Carbon-VIU measures, in percentage terms, the price
value of one extra % of carbon content as reported 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 a 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% material or 21%
more expensive than 94% carbon.
For more information, 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."