In December, the benchmark prices of sintered corundum and white corundum continued to rise, and the prices of some grades of bauxite maintained an upward trend. The benchmark prices of high-purity magnesia and fused magnesia fell back, and the prices of brown corundum, silicon carbide, flake graphite, dead-burned magnesia, and mid-range magnesia were temporarily stable.

[Corundum] Driven by the price increase of industrial alumina, the benchmark prices of white corundum and sintered corundum were raised again. Affected by the high price of industrial alumina and the restrictions on procurement in the non-aluminum industry, the industrial alumina inventory of corundum manufacturers is insufficient. Users are weak in accepting the high price of corundum, and the operating rates of white corundum and sintered corundum manufacturers are far below 50%, mostly based on rigid demand orders, and the transaction is dismal.

At present, after the unit price difference between brown corundum and white corundum and sintered corundum continues to expand, the price of brown corundum has not continued to rise.

Limited by the refractory contracting price of end users, refractory companies are unable to accept high-priced raw materials. The benchmark price of brown corundum has reached the level before the price increase of white corundum and sintered corundum, and has also reached the upper limit of the price accepted by users. Therefore, low-priced recycled corundum has become a new choice for refractory companies. In the next two months, corundum products may usher in a stable period. [Magnesium] The price per ton of fused magnesia and high-purity magnesia has generally been reduced, and the benchmark price of dead-burned magnesia and mid-range magnesia remains stable. Liaoning has restored the electricity price billing method and continued to implement the "peak-valley-flat" electricity price. Affected by the adjustment of electricity prices, fused magnesia companies have gradually resumed production and inventory has increased. The overall demand for fused magnesia is weak, and suppliers have taken the opportunity to reduce sales prices. The demand for high-purity magnesia is not good, inventory has increased, and prices have fallen.      Mid-range magnesia is temporarily stable. The price of dead-burned magnesia is stable at a low level, and there is limited room for price reduction. [Bauxite] Bauxite inventory is limited, and companies that still have ore are maintaining production, and some companies can only support it until the middle of this month. At present, users of bauxite have sent people to the production area to settle the goods they like in cash for shipment. Due to the shortage of some grades, prices have increased. [Silicon carbide] As the end of the year approaches, silicon carbide companies are not very motivated to produce. Anthracite prices are high, petroleum coke prices are rising, and petroleum coke suitable for smelting silicon carbide is insufficient. Therefore, silicon carbide manufacturers are beginning to plan to raise prices. At present, silicon carbide prices have not generally increased, and the base price is temporarily stable. Driven by the skyrocketing price of industrial alumina, the base prices of white corundum, sintered corundum, and dense corundum have risen sharply, and the prices of products such as calcined alumina, alumina mullite, and pure calcium aluminate cement have increased to a certain extent. In the case of a general increase in the price of aluminum raw materials, there is almost no opportunity for refractory product prices to increase, and end users have repeatedly lowered prices. With the price increase on the raw material side and the price reduction on the user side, refractory companies are in a dilemma.