The price for uncoated spherical graphite in China, another battery raw material, has increased twice over the course of a month after a prolonged period of flatness.
Industrial Minerals assessed the spherical graphite 99.95% C, 15 microns price at $2,700-2,800 per tonne fob China on April 12, up from $2,500-2,700 per tonne fob China a week earlier.
Demand for the material - a crucial feedstock for the anode component of lithium-ion batteries used in EVs - is increasing, suppliers reported, leading to what they describe as a situation of tightening availability, which is keeping prices elevated.
On the export market, data from Chinese authorities on spherical graphite trading seem to support this picture.
In 2017, Chinese exports of spherical graphite reached a seven-year high of 40,871 tonnes, also up 25% from the previous year.
Expand