Domestic market
The price still remained at a low level. Due to the serious price upside-down of small-size graphite electrodes below UHP500mm, manufacturers had no profit. But the quotation increased a little by about $100/ton because of the supply shortage recently; The price of large-size electrodes above UHP600mm, especially UHP700mm, had been falling rapidly due to small demand in the market.
International market
It is reported that the steel production decreased continuously in Russia recently, (an average decrease of 20% from April to May) and the increase in EPM capacity (the output of UHP610mm electrodes in the new furnace has increased by nearly 300 tons per month), so the Russian graphite electrode Import volume may decrease in the near future.
Generally speaking, the demand in the Middle East and Russia is relatively stable, and the main size is from UHP550mm to UHP700mm.