Weekly Calcined Petroleum Coke Market Review (Aug 28 – Sep 3, 2026): Cost Support Drives Overall Price Uptick & Market Outlook

1. Weekly Market Trend Analysis

For the week of August 28 to September 3, 2026, the calcined petroleum coke market stayed generally steady with partial price hikes. Raw material costs delivered strong support for low-sulfur calcined coke, whose prices rose by RMB 50–100 per ton accordingly. The raw material prices for medium and high-sulfur calcined coke fluctuated within a range. Downstream buyers purchased goods out of rigid demand, and Shandong region recorded sound production and sales alongside climbing market prices.

Overall, calcined coke prices edged up this week, with prices rising synchronously across major downstream sectors.

· Carbon products for aluminum industry: Manufacturers maintained decent production and sales momentum, while prices of prebaked anodes surged widely.

· Carbon products for steelmaking: Downstream production and sales remained sluggish with weak purchasing sentiment. Nevertheless, solid raw material cost support pushed up prices of graphite electrodes and recarburizers.

2. Weekly Profit Analysis

Low-sulfur calcined coke profit

High-grade low-sulfur calcined coke posted a profit of -RMB 75 per ton; standard low-sulfur calcined coke earned RMB 183 per ton, both rising week-on-week. Raw green coke prices in Northeast China ticked up slightly, lifting calcined coke prices and marginally expanding calcination profits. Downstream buyers of graphite electrodes and cathode carbon blocks kept steady order intake, and calcination manufacturers secured abundant order books for September.

Medium-sulfur calcined coke profit

General medium-sulfur calcined coke from local refineries registered a profit of -RMB 415 per ton, rising 26% week-on-week but falling 215% year-on-year. Prices of medium & high-sulfur green coke fluctuated and edged up moderately this week. Calcined coke prices in Shandong followed the raw material uptrend, slightly easing manufacturers’ cost inversion pressure.

3. Market Forecast for Next Week

Calcined petroleum coke prices are projected to stay stable in the coming week, while market supply is likely to expand. Key monitoring indicators are listed below:

1. Supply side: Track operation rates of calcination plants and any production start-up or shutdown adjustments.

2. Demand side: Operation rates of prebaked anode producers are expected to climb marginally; demand for carbon cathode materials will remain robust.

3. Cost side: Carbon manufacturers retain moderate purchasing willingness, and green petroleum coke prices will fluctuate within a fixed band.