【Artificial Graphite】2026 Market Analysis: China Accounts for Over 60% of Global Share, ...

Calcined petroleum coke, with its high carbon content, low sulfur, and low impurities, plays a vital role in modern manufacturing, especially in the aluminum and steel industries.

【Artificial Graphite】2026 Market Analysis: China Accounts for Over 60% of Global Share, Demand Expected to Reach 2 Million Tons

Artificial graphite is a carbon allotrope produced through synthetic processes. It is manufactured from carbonaceous raw materials such as petroleum coke, pitch coke, and needle coke through high-temperature graphitization treatment (2800–3000°C). Its crystal structure can be artificially controlled, exhibiting anisotropic or isotropic characteristics, and it can be classified into isostatic graphite, molded graphite, extruded graphite, and graphite for anode materials. China accounts for more than 60% of global artificial graphite production capacity, with Shandong, Henan, and Jiangsu serving as the major production regions. China's artificial graphite output is expected to increase by 14.6% year-on-year in 2026.

Shandong, Henan, and Jiangsu provinces account for more than 70% of China's total output. Global production capacity is concentrated in China (60%), Japan (15%), and South Korea (10%). Europe and the United States are subsidizing local industries through the Inflation Reduction Act, while China is strengthening resource cooperation under the "Belt and Road" initiative. The market share of leading enterprises has increased to 45%, and China's artificial graphite demand is expected to grow by 18.6% year-on-year in 2026.

The "14th Five-Year Plan for Raw Materials Industry Development" has listed graphite as a key strategic material and encourages the development of high value-added products. Increased resource tax rates and export control policies are promoting industry capacity consolidation. China's average artificial graphite price is expected to reach RMB 30,099/ton in 2026.

As China continues to dominate global refining capacity and supply chains, Japan's Showa Denko and Germany's SGL Carbon maintain technological advantages in the high-end specialty graphite sector. Europe and the United States are promoting domestic industries through policy subsidies, while China is strengthening export controls and global expansion strategies. China's artificial graphite market size is expected to grow by 11.2% year-on-year in 2026.

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