Graphite electrodes for the steel industry price trend in October 2020.

Raw material-needle coke market is running steadily

The needle coke market remained stable this week, downstream demand recovered well, order shipments increased compared with the previous period, and business activities increased.

At present, newly-launched companies are basically going to the market, and some companies offer relatively low prices, but the oil-based raw material petroleum coke has been rising for nearly three months. Under the pressure of increasing costs, oil-based needle coke companies may still increase their prices subsequently.

Downstream market-The graphite electrode market has warmed up recently, and companies have better expectations for the later market. However, due to the long-term low level of the electrode market, companies are also more cautious in purchasing raw materials;

In the short term, under the influence of the upstream and downstream benefits of the coke market, prices are still on the rise, and raw coke is also boosted along with the rise in the negative electrode market. The price of needle coke is expected to rise slightly in the short term.

In the long run, needle coke companies continue to increase production capacity. With the continuous increase in sources, downstream companies have more choices, which will definitely affect the price of needle coke. It is expected that the needle coke market will remain stable in the long term.

Graphite electrode market

The graphite electrode market has experienced a quarterly trough and has finally ushered in a rise recently, but this rise is only a slight price increase, and the electrode market is still in a relatively weak situation. At present, it is understood that most companies increase the price of graphite electrodes by 200-1000 yuan/ton. Since the price of electrodes is already low, the market is still weak after this price.

The increase in electric arc furnace starts and production has driven the consumption of graphite electrodes, which has ushered in a positive change in the electrode market. Driven by the positive electrode market, the price of raw needle coke has also begun to rise. At present, the export market is still showing a declining trend, and the export market has not recovered to the same period as the market, but in the fourth quarter, with the recovery of overseas production, domestic sales may increase.


In terms of steel mills: the production of steel mills is good, and companies are actively shipping products, but market transactions did not reflect the expected peak season consumption, and corporate inventories continue to increase. Recently, steel prices have fallen, coupled with a small purchase boom on National Day, and transactions in the steel market are expected to rise.


In the short term, after the trial of this small price increase, companies have a strong wait-and-see sentiment towards the market, and weak market acceptance is good. In the case of increased demand from downstream steel mills, prices may still rise in the short term.

In the long run, when the country encourages the application of electric furnace steel, the use of electric furnaces in steel mills will surely drive the demand for graphite electrodes, but the market supply is sufficient and the price of electrodes will not increase too much, and stable development is the main focus.