# Activated carbon: Trading

The 2025 squeeze on coconut-shell carbon prices

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/activated_carbon/trading/

What this tab covers How it is bought and sold: buyers and sellers, price benchmarks and who publishes them, exchanges, contract types, traders, how Indian buyers price it, recent price points, and good sources to follow.

#### Who buys, and where

- Water utilities and filter makers
- Gold mines
- Sugar and food processors
- Coal power plants and incinerators
- Pharmaceutical makers

#### Who sells, and from where

- Sri Lanka, India, Philippines, Indonesia (coconut)
- China and the US (coal)
- Global producers' reactivation centres

#### Price benchmarks

| Benchmark | Publisher | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| **Coconut-based activated carbon export prices by country** | International Coconut Community | monthly |

#### Exchanges

| Venue | Contract | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| **none** | no futures | Bilateral contracts by grade (iodine number, mesh size) |

#### Contract types

- Utility tenders with reactivation service
- Annual supply to mines and food processors
- Spot export sales by Indian and Sri Lankan producers

#### Traders and distributors

- Distributors and filter makers; few commodity traders

#### How Indian buyers price it

- Indian exporters price in dollars against Sri Lankan and Indonesian offers; domestic buyers pay import parity for coal-based grades from China.
- Shell charcoal is bought from local collectors at $629-990/t (H1 2025, ICC).
- No Indian anti-dumping duty on activated carbon found.

#### Recent price points

| Date | Price | Basis | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 2025 | **about $3,000/t** | Sri Lanka export, coconut-based | ICC (Dec 2025) |
| Oct 2025 | **over $4,300/t** | Sri Lanka export, coconut-based | ICC (Dec 2025) |
| Oct 2025 | **above $2,200/t** | Indonesia export, coconut-based | ICC (Dec 2025) |
| H1 2025 | **about $629-990/t** | India coconut shell charcoal | ICC (Dec 2025) |

#### Good sources to follow
[International Coconut Community market reviews](https://coconutcommunity.org/page-content/market-review-of-coconut-shell-charcoal-december-2025-mr-88)free research site · International Coconut Community

Monthly shell charcoal and activated carbon trade and prices
[TrendEconomy HS 380210 trade data](https://trendeconomy.com/data/h2/India/380210)free research site · TrendEconomy

Annual trade by country for activated carbon
[IMARC activated carbon plant insight (India)](https://www.imarcgroup.com/insight/activated-carbon-manufacturing-plant-setup-cost-india)freemium research site · IMARC Group

Indian plant economics and market size
[GlobeNewswire market report summaries](https://www.globenewswire.com/de/news-release/2025/03/18/3044716/28124/en/Activated-Carbon-Global-Market-Report-2025-with-Profiles-of-Kuraray-Jacobi-Carbons-Evoqua-Water-Technologies-Ingevity-Haycarb-Norit-Carbotech-and-more.html)free research site · ResearchAndMarkets via GlobeNewswire

Market size and company lists

## Other sections

- [Summary](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/activated_carbon/index.md)
- [Overview](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/activated_carbon/overview/index.md)
- [Correlation](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/activated_carbon/correlation/index.md)
- [Production route](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/activated_carbon/routes/index.md)
- [Production](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/activated_carbon/production/index.md)
- [Feedstocks](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/activated_carbon/feedstocks/index.md)
- [Cycles](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/activated_carbon/cycles/index.md)
- [Movement](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/activated_carbon/movement/index.md)
- [Regulation](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/activated_carbon/regulation/index.md)
- [Characteristics](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/activated_carbon/characteristics/index.md)
- [Emissions](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/activated_carbon/emissions/index.md)
- [Relationships](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/activated_carbon/links/index.md)