Calcined Coal Carbon Additives: Stable with a Wait-and-See Approach; Trading Within a Range

The market for calcined coal carbon additives remains stable with a wait-and-see attitude. Prices are generally steady, with firm quotes in the main production area of Ningxia, and no significant market fluctuations at present.

Strong support comes from the cost side: supplies of anthracite, the core raw material, are tight in the main production areas of Ningxia and Shanxi, and prices are rising amid stability, providing a solid floor for carbon additive prices. On the supply side, domestic production capacity is highly concentrated in the Ningxia region, creating a “west-to-east sales” pattern. Operating rates at enterprises in the main production areas remain low, and factory inventories continue to be drawn down. Coupled with stricter environmental regulations, small and medium-sized production capacity is gradually being phased out, resulting in an overall tight spot market. Although there are signs of a recovery on the demand side, purchases are primarily driven by essential needs, with no concentrated surge in volume yet. Market trading activity remains weak, and the scope for price movements—whether up or down—is limited.

In the short term (1–2 weeks), the market is expected to remain range-bound, with no basis for significant price fluctuations. Positive factors include tight raw material supplies and low manufacturer inventories; negative factors include slow demand recovery and weak actual transaction volumes. Downstream enterprises are advised to purchase in batches according to their needs, replenishing inventories moderately when prices dip, and avoiding stockpiling at high price levels. Manufacturers should prioritize stable pricing and volume sales while continuously monitoring anthracite coal prices and their own inventory changes.