Petroleum coke prices in China have broken through the ¥5,000/t mark (~$725/t), a level flagged by Shimo Shixun as a notable threshold for the anode materials industry. Petroleum coke is a key feedstock for synthetic (artificial) graphite anode production, and sustained price increases at this level have direct implications for anode material cost structures and producer margins.
Petroleum coke is the single largest raw material input in synthetic graphite anode production. A sustained move above ¥5,000/t compresses margins for Chinese anode producers – particularly smaller players without integrated graphitisation capacity – and could accelerate the ongoing consolidation trend in China’s anode materials sector.
Note: All CNY figures converted to USD at an approximate rate of 1 USD = 6.89 CNY.
Shimo Shixun (石墨时讯), “石油焦涨价 突破5000元”, WeChat, March 9, 2026.