Carbon Black Daily: High Offers Meet Cold Demand, Downtrend Brewing

Carbon Black Index

According to Toodudu's data calculations, the carbon black price index stood at 7,459 on August 11, unchanged from the previous trading day.

Carbon Black Price Index Trend (chart reproduced from the original article)

Carbon Black Market Prices

Market Impact Analysis

1. Upstream raw materials: Coal tar prices stood at CNY 4,270/ton in Shandong, CNY 4,420/ton in Shanxi and CNY 4,310/ton in Hebei. The domestic high-temperature coal tar market is mainly in a wait-and-see mode for now, but bearish factors are gradually gaining the upper hand, and the likelihood of a market decline is expected to increase.

2. Carbon black supply: The operating rate of sampled carbon black producers rose slightly. A plant in Shanxi is under maintenance, some major producers raised their operating loads, and some plants in East China adjusted operating rates according to order conditions. Overall, regional operating rates edged up, but only to a limited extent.

3. Downstream demand: It is understood that tire plants that had been under maintenance have gradually repaired their facilities, with operating rates continuing to recover, though most plants still maintain controlled production. Recently, some plants launched promotional policies this month to stimulate shipments, slightly lifting their monthly shipment volumes; most others kept existing pricing, with shipments staying flat. Overall, the industry still faces considerable production and sales pressure.

Outlook

So far, the high-temperature coal tar market is also expected to decline, weakening cost-side support. Carbon black offers remain at relatively high levels, downstream acceptance is limited, and the wait-and-see atmosphere prevails. Overall, no significant drop in new carbon black orders has emerged yet, but moving goods at high prices is difficult, and negotiations on new orders remain deadlocked.