Coconut Shell Activated Carbon: Recent Market Dynamics Intelligence, Analysis, and Forecast

I. Market Dynamics Intelligence

Price Trends
- Overall Price Range: In May 2026, domestic coconut shell activated carbon prices in China exhibited a pattern of “moderate overall decline with premium-tier stability.” Genuine, pure coconut shell activated carbon remained priced above RMB 20,000 per ton, without retreating into the RMB 10,000–15,000/ton range; lower-priced products were predominantly blends, regenerated materials, or non-pure coconut shell feedstocks.
- Segment-Specific Prices:
- Coconut Shell Gold Recovery Activated Carbon:
High Iodine Number Grade (1000–1200 mg/g, high mechanical strength, ash content ≤3%, optimized for CIP/CIL processes and high-grade ore): RMB 20,000–24,000/ton;
Medium Iodine Number Grade (800–1000 mg/g, standard strength, suitable for conventional gold recovery): RMB 18,000–20,000/ton;
Premium Branded Grade (imported raw materials, full certification compliance, e.g., ISO, ASTM, REACH): approximately RMB 25,000–26,000/ton.
- Apricot Kernel Gold Recovery Activated Carbon:
High Iodine Number Grade (1000–1200 mg/g, strength 85–93%, suited for heap leaching and low-grade ore): RMB 14,000–18,000/ton;
Medium Iodine Number Grade (800–1000 mg/g, standard heap leaching compatibility): RMB 12,000–14,000/ton.
- Purified Fruit Shell Activated Carbon: Significant price differentiation by iodine number—e.g., Henan Sentie Environmental Technology Co., Ltd. quotes RMB 4,800/ton (iodine number 600), RMB 7,200/ton (800), RMB 8,600/ton (900), and RMB 9,600/ton (1000).

Supply-Demand Situation
- Supply Side:
Production Capacity Distribution: Capacity is highly concentrated in Fujian, Jiangxi, and Guangxi provinces. In 2025, these three provinces collectively accounted for 291,000 tons—or 75.4%—of China’s total capacity, with Fujian leading at 127,000 tons.
Enterprise Capacity: Twelve enterprises possess large-scale mass-production capability—for instance, Pengze Environmental Technology Co., Ltd. achieved annual output exceeding 8,000 tons; Qingdao Guanbaolin Activated Carbon Co., Ltd. produces 8,000 tons/year of coconut shell activated carbon.
- Demand Side:
Traditional Application Sectors: Steady growth continues across water treatment, air purification, food & beverage decolorization, pharmaceutical & nutraceutical purification, and gold metallurgy. In 2025, water treatment consumed 224,000 tons—61.5% of total demand; air purification used 73,000 tons (20.1%); high-value sectors—including pharmaceuticals, food, and gold extraction—collectively consumed 68,000 tons (18.4%), registering the fastest growth rate at +19.7% year-on-year.
Emerging Application Sectors: Commercialization of sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) has triggered surging demand; fruit shell activated carbon consumption in SIB anodes is projected to account for over 30% of total import volume in 2025.

Import-Export Situation
- Imports: In September 2025, China imported 16,164.37 metric tons of fruit shell activated carbon—a 35% month-on-month surge and 64% year-on-year increase. The average import price rose from USD 755.4/ton in August to USD 819.6/ton (+9% MoM). In January 2026, import volume declined sharply by 36% MoM to 11,567.65 tons—but remained up 46% YoY; the average import price stood at USD 798.48/ton, down 4.5% MoM from USD 835.77/ton in December 2025. China’s imports are heavily reliant on Southeast Asian resources, with the Philippines and Indonesia alone contributing over 90% of total imports.
- Exports: In 2025, exports totaled 64,000 tons, valued at USD 382 million. Key export destinations included Southeast Asia, India, Turkey, and South America. The average export price was USD 5,970/ton—up 4.1% YoY from 2024.

II. Analysis and Judgment

Reasons Behind Price Volatility
- Raw Material Costs: Southeast Asia experienced droughts and abnormal rainfall, reducing coconut shell yields. Meanwhile, rapid proliferation of new carbonization plants intensified regional competition for raw materials; rising logistics costs further elevated import expenses—exerting upward pressure on final product prices.
- Supply-Demand Balance: Steady growth in traditional applications, coupled with explosive demand from emerging sectors—especially sodium-ion battery commercialization—has driven robust demand expansion. However, supply-side capacity ramp-up requires lead time, resulting in short-term supply-demand imbalance and supporting price resilience.
- Product Quality: Premium products maintain pricing power due to high raw material purity, superior iodine numbers, and advanced manufacturing techniques. Conversely, low-cost offerings—often blends, regenerated carbon, or non-coconut feedstocks—feature compromised quality and comparatively weak pricing.

Reasons Behind Import-Export Fluctuations
- Import Volume & Price Volatility: The September 2025 import surge reflected strategic stockpiling by manufacturers responding to sudden sodium-ion battery demand acceleration. The January 2026 MoM decline likely reflects short-term supply-chain rhythm adjustments. Import price fluctuations stem from raw material availability, logistics cost changes, and RMB exchange rate movements.
- Export Growth Drivers: Enhanced product quality—particularly premium grades compliant with EU REACH and US FDA standards—has strengthened China’s pricing power internationally, driving both export volume and value growth.

III. Forecast

Price Trend Forecast
- Short Term: Prices are expected to trend sideways-to-upward, supported by persistent raw material cost pressures and supply-demand tightness—especially for premium-grade products, whose pricing will remain firm.
- Long Term: As industry-wide capacity expands and technological progress drives efficiency gains—e.g., via microwave-assisted activation or bio-based binders replacing coal-tar pitch—production costs may gradually moderate, leading to greater overall price stability. Nevertheless, premium-tier pricing is expected to remain elevated.

Supply-Demand Forecast
- Supply Side: Leading enterprises are intensifying R&D investment, accelerating technology iteration—including microwave-coupled activation and bio-derived binders—to improve production efficiency and product performance, enabling further capacity expansion.
- Demand Side: Traditional application sectors will sustain steady growth, while emerging areas—including sodium-ion and lithium-ion battery electrolyte purification, hydrogen storage & transport gas purification—will progressively scale up, becoming key new drivers of demand growth.

Import-Export Forecast
- Imports: In the near term, imports will continue serving as a critical enabler for hard carbon anode production. However, as domestic breakthroughs overcome hard carbon performance bottlenecks—and localized substitution accelerates—import volumes are expected to gradually decline.
- Exports: With continuous improvements in product quality, technical compliance, and brand recognition, Chinese fruit shell activated carbon is poised to expand its global footprint—particularly gaining market share across Southeast Asia and the Middle East.