Chinese supply resurgence amid graphite market’s evolution

The start of the year saw Covid pressures bring shutdowns to Chinese flake graphite as the country was battling the initial outbreak of the disease. There had limited activity in the flake graphite market, as many Chinese producers kept factories closed, or operated at low utilisation rates, following the winter shutdown and mandated extension to Spring Festival closures linked to Covid.

However, since the start of the year we have seen a reversal in the supply picture and a recovery in China’s natural flake graphite production capacity as the country’s share of global supply increased, while African supply . . .