China's spherical graphite exports lose ground in April

• Autores: Davide Ghilotti
• Localización: Industrial Minerals, ISSN 0019-8544, Nº. 595, 2017 (Ejemplar dedicado a: Julio-Agosto)
• Idioma: inglés
• Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
• Resumen

  • The average value of coated and uncoated spherical graphite out of China dipped below the $3,000/tonne mark in April as volumes shipped declined from the record highs seen in March.

    Chinese spherical graphite exports declined in April following a strong performance in March, but remained significantly higher on a year-on-year (y-o-y) basis, latest China Customs figures show.

    Exports of spherical graphite, including both coated and uncoated material under HS code 25041091, stood at 3,330 tonnes in April, generating $9.82m in trade worth.

    The month marks a sharp increase in volume (+37%) against the same period last year, when exports reached 2,426 tonnes.

    In value terms, however, the increased volume traded was not enough to exceed year-ago levels: the April 2017 value fell 6% y-o-y, mainly on the back of decreasing spherical graphite average export prices.

    Chinese spherical graphite exports (Kg, $) Source: China Customs The average value of exported material this time last year was close to $4,300/tonne, compared with $2,950/tonne in April - a drop of over one-third.

    The latest data also shows a slight decrease in shipments against the previous month. In March, volumes posted a record-high, with 3,480 tonnes exported, for a value of almost $11m.

    Sequentially, spherical graphite lost further in value from an average export price in March of $3,160/tonne.

    Volatility in trade patterns was seen earlier this year already, with a surge in January followed by a decline in February.

    This article was first published online on 12 June.