Chinese silicon export price kept trending lower due to limited buying appetites and ahead of production ramp-up at refineries in southern China; meanwhile, European prices held steady after drops seen one week earlier.
The Chinese grade 553 silicon export price dropped to $1,780-1,870 per tonne on Friday June 8, down from $1,810-1,900 per tonne one week ago. Despite delayed operations resuming at refineries in Sichuan province and a resultant slow production ramp-up during early June, suppliers continued to lower quotations to achieve sales before prices edge down further. Traditionally, silicon refineries curtail production during the dry season and restart operations in the rainy season to take advantage of cheaper hydro-power, available from June to October each year. Refineries in Yunnan province are running at full operational rates, while a couple of refineries in Sichuan province have also restarted operations. "Refineries are eager...