GLOBAL GRAPHITE SNAPSHOT: Tight supply supports large flake cif Europe prices

China

• Sentiment for flake graphite in the domestic market remained firm amid increasing production costs for graphite flake 94% C, -100 mesh, fob China (-194).
• Prices for large flake graphite - graphite flake, 94% C, +80% mesh, fob China (+894) - were supported by increased domestic demand for expandable graphite, as well as supply tightness, with reduced imports from outside of China.
• Spherical graphite prices held firm amid increasing costs for hydrofluoric and sulfuric acid, which are used for spherical graphite purification.

Europe

• The market for +894 strengthened further in response to high transportation costs and low availability of material from China, while exporters elsewhere have also raised their offer prices.
• Producers outside of China have sought to take advantage of lower transportation costs and increasing supply to raise their market share and securing offtake agreements, such as NextSource and Thyssenkrupp Materials.
• Prices in the -194 market have held up despite increased supply of material from Syrah Resources, which plans to ramp up production further.

Following a market consultation, Fastmarkets now prices the amorphous graphite markets in the third week of every month. The prices shown here relate to May 20, with the previous assessment made on April 15.

Graphite flake premium calculator

The Value in Use (VIU) was updated to 4.4% on April 1 for the second quarter of 2021 from 5% in the first quarter.

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."