GLOBAL GRAPHITE SNAPSHOT: China production restarting, market prices hold

摘要

Operations at producers of flake and spherical graphite in Qingdao were recovering gradually, with work at reduced rates with partial workforces to help contain the spread of the novel coronavirus infection. Logistics for the seaborne market in Qingdao were getting better thanks to its advantage of being a port city. According to market sources, shipments to other countries might be delayed due to the internal restrictions on transporting material from places far from Qingdao, which may affect the volumes loaded onto any particular ship. The amorphous graphite market was stable over the past week because producers were fulfilling contracts signed before the Chinese new year holiday. The amorphous material delivered was taken from existing inventory. It was reported that mining would not be allowed until March 2 in Hunan province, the production hub for amorphous graphite in China. Given that workers from outside Hunan will need to be quarantined for the virus incubation period of 14 days, normal operations could be affected, threatening the supply of material, according to market sources.