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市场概述
石墨是一种性能介于非金属和金属之间的多用途矿物。因为石墨具有高温度和导电性等独特的性能，使得石墨制品在许多工业和相关产业中都有应用。电池，耐火材料，半导体，电极，燃料电池不完全是由石墨制成的，但石墨是其中一个重要组成部分。（石墨总公司2012）
中国在石墨生产行业处于世界领先地位，占有总份额的86%。中国还主导着全球的石墨供应量的70%。印度占5%。第三位属巴西有4%。欧盟国家的份额占到4.3%。（英国地质调查2011）
Figure 2.世界上的石墨生产（英国地质调查局2011）
欧洲宣布石墨作为一种重要的战略重要性。如今，欧洲石墨都主要从中国进口，从中国进口的石墨占了欧洲石墨的95%。这就是有很多关于长期石墨供应安全担忧的原因。（Rognvald Boyd，地质调查局2012）
Market Analysis Market Description
Graphite is a multipurpose mineral with its properties on nonmetals and metals. Graphite products are used in many industries and industrial applications because of unique properties of graphite, such as stability in high temperatures and conductivity. Batteries, refractories, semiconductors, electrodes, fuel cells - this is not the total list of applications, where graphite products are an essential part. (Northern Graphite Corporation 2012)
China is a world leader in graphite production with its 86% of the total share. Also China dominates global graphite supply (more that 70%). India takes second place and has 5% share. Third place belongs to Brazil with 4% share. EU countries' share accounts to 4.3%. (British Geological Survey 2011)
Figure 2.世界上的石墨生产（英国地质调查局2011）-Figure 2. Graphite production in the world (British Geological Survey 2011)
Europe has announced graphite as a material of strategic importance. Nowadays Europe is up to 95% dependent on graphite imports that are mainly from China. That's why there are many concerns about long term graphite supply security. (Rognvald Boyd, Geological Survey of Norway 2012)
Main European producers are Austria, Romania, Norway, Romania and Turkey. Finland and Sweden are the countries that have the richest potential in Europe for production of graphite according to their natural resources. (Rognvald Boyd, Geological Survey of Norway 2012) More detailed information about Finnish and Swedish graphite manufacturers is given in the "competitors" part of the report.
Major players on carbon and graphite market in the world are: Hexcel Corporation, Cabot Corporation, Carbone Lorraine, GRAFIL Inc., Toray Industries Inc., Morgan Crucible Company Plc, Toho Tenax Co. Ltd,, Evonik Degussa GmbH, GrafTech International Ltd., HEG Ltd., Showa Denko Carbon Inc., Showa Denko K.K, SGL Carbon, Nippon Carbon Co Ltd., Mitsubishi Rayon Co. Ltd., Tokai Carbon Co. Ltd., Morgan Industrial Carbon, Zoltek Companies Inc. and Superior Graphite Co. (Northern Graphite Corporation 2012)
Asian-Pacific countries represent the fastest growing market for carbon and graphite globally and are difficult to compete with. But Schunk Group is a global player on carbon and graphite market and the company already has its own niche on the global market. Schunk has enough competitive potential, so our research should find the ways which would help the company to achieve its potential.
Market needs
Nowadays graphite demand is approximately 1,2 million tons annually on a global basis. (Focus Graphite Inc. 2012)
Graphite demand is closely tied to the steel industry where it is used as a liner for ladles and crucibles, as a component in bricks which line furnaces ("refractories"), and as an agent that increases the carbon content of steel. In the automotive industry it is used in gaskets, brake linings and clutch materials. Graphite also has a great number of other uses in batteries, reinforcements in plastics, fire retardants, and lubricants (Northern Graphite Corporation 2012)
The fact that graphite demand was increasing in the past few years provide a very good chance for Schunk. This chance is to increase company's sales profit amoung its own existing range of customers in end-use industries of graphite and find new customers in the most appopriate industries in Finland to cooperate with. For this purpose market research is essential to be conducted.
Market trend / growth
Global economic crisis (2008-2009) had a negative influence on carbon and graphite market. Demand all over the world slumped and main consequences can be easily seen in the two major end-use industries of carbon and graphite: they are automotive, iron and steel. Inspite of that fact, the market is improving in the last 3 years, because the global economy started to recover and market conditions are improving. The reason that all suppliers in the market are strongly chained and tied to each other is also a risk factor for end-users in Asia, Europe and the United States (Global Industry Analysts Inc. 2010)
Increasing consumption by the end-use industries improves the prospects of carbon and graphite market. After recession the carbon and graphite market is expected to register growth led by demand from a variety of industrial sectors in advanced as well as developing economies. Increase in demand could be also attributed to massive increase in carbon-based applications ranging from safer computers to outer space exploration. Global Industry Analysts Inc. 2010)
As it was mentioned, Asian-Pacific countries represent the fastest growing market for graphite and carbon, which is mostly driven by the Chinese and Indian markets. Such factors as low labor costs and existing graphite natural resources provide a sustainable market growth (especially in China) even during poor demand conditions. Holding strong position on the graphite market, China is expected to have almost infinite growth supported by overseas investments. (Global Industry Analysts Inc. 2010) Indian graphite industry has competitive advantages in technology, capacity expansions, reduced costs of operations, cost-effective and quality products. Taking into account all these factors and the continuing development of the steel sector in India it can be clearly explained why it is holding stable second place in the global graphite market for a long time. (Global Industry Analysts Inc. 2010)
But there are some new trends in the market. China has started to protect its domestic needs and control exports, including rare resources. One of the core future industries for graphite is growing electric vehicle market. So, there is a possible demand growth that is estimated by graphite and carbon market analysts as a double demand. There will be also extremely high competition between suppliers between West and East that could create a prosperous future for today's investors in the market. (Focus Graphite Inc. 2012)
Industrial Minerals said in its report that the price for 100 mesh 97% graphite concentrate fell to a $1700 to $2,000 per ton range from its $2,400 highs earlier last year. Whether this trend continues during the course of this and the previous (2011) year is a matter of speculation, but it creates an opportunity to incorporate cyclical volatility into investment risk, where China's overwhelming productive capacity, if unleashed to its fullest, could financially flatten new entrants to the graphite supply market (Focus Graphite Inc. 2012)
Figure 3.2002年到2012年期间的石墨价格(石墨有限公司2012)-Figure 3. Graphite Price History from 2002 to 2012 (Focus Graphite Inc. 2012)
With the current recovery of the global economic situation and industries' recovery and renewal Schunk has good opportunity to find potential customers in Finland.
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