Benchmark launches consultation on increasing publishing frequency of synthetic and natural graphite price grades to every two weeks

Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, the world’s leading independent provider of price assessments, data, and analysis for the lithium ion battery to electric vehicle supply chain, today announced a formal public consultation on changes to its Natural & Synthetic Graphite Price Assessment Methodologies.

After feedback from and discussion with market participants, Benchmark proposes to move its Natural Graphite and Synthetic Graphite Price Assessments from monthly to every two weeks on alternate Thursdays.

Liquidity and transaction volumes across the graphite and anode supply chain have risen steadily, and Benchmark expects this to continue. Several developments have made more frequent price discovery important:

• Wider trade flows: Supply chains outside China are growing, and buyers are signing more offtakes and diversifying their sources. Benchmark is seeing more transactions, involving more participants, across more regions.

• Policy and trade shocks: Export controls, tariffs, and anti-dumping measures on graphite and anode materials can move prices and trade patterns within a matter of weeks. A monthly cycle can miss these moves or report them late.

• Higher volatility: Prices across flake, spherical and synthetic graphite now move faster in response to anode demand, changes in production and changes in inventory.

• Industry need for a more frequent reference: Producers, anode makers, cell manufacturers, automakers, and financial institutions are writing more contracts linked to Benchmark’s indices. They need a reference that keeps pace with the market.

Proposed assessment timing

Under the proposal, Benchmark would publish all-natural graphite and synthetic graphite prices every two weeks, at 4:00pm (UK time) on Thursday. The first two-weekly assessment would be published on Thursday 10 December 2026, subject to any feedback received during the consultation period.

Grades affected

The change would apply to all grades currently in Benchmark’s Natural Graphite and Synthetic Graphite Price Assessments, namely:

Natural graphite: flake graphite

• -100 mesh, 90–93% C, FOB China

• +100 mesh, 90–93% C, FOB China

• -100 mesh, 94–95% C, FOB China

• +100 mesh, 94–95% C, FOB China

• +80 mesh, 94–95% C, FOB China

• +50 mesh, 94–95% C, FOB China

• -100 mesh, 94–95% C, CIF North America

• -100 mesh, 94–95% C, DDP China

• +100 mesh, 94–95% C, DDP China

• -100 mesh, 94–95% C, FOB East Africa

• +80 mesh, 94–95% C, FOB East Africa

Natural graphite: value-added products

• Uncoated spherical graphite (USPG) 10µm, 99.95% C, FOB China

• Uncoated spherical graphite (USPG) 15µm, 99.95% C, FOB China

• Uncoated spherical graphite (USPG) 25µm, 99.95% C, FOB China

Synthetic graphite: needle coke

• Calcined pet needle coke, DDP China

• Pre-calcined pet needle coke, DDP China

• Calcined pitch needle coke, DDP China

• Pre-calcined pitch needle coke, DDP China

Synthetic graphite: petroleum coke

• Calcined pet coke, DDP China

• Pre-calcined pet coke, DDP China

• Medium-sulphur pet coke, DDP China

Synthetic graphite: tolling fees

• Graphitisation

Benchmark invites feedback from active market participants by 6 December 2026.

Please contact any member of the Benchmark team with feedback, or email prices@benchmarkminerals.com.

Read more about Benchmark’s IOSCO audit here.