Why is China importing so much high-sulfur petcoke, and where does it go?

Why is China importing so much high-sulfur petcoke, and where does it go?
China's petcoke imports hit record highs as domestic supply surged and demand split along sulfur lines. High-sulfur, high-vanadium grades increasingly serve silicon producers and fuel users, while low-sulfur material feeds prebaked anode and lithium battery anode chains. With domestic low-sulfur output only about 5% of total production and lithium-grade import dependence above 35%, buyers compete directly with anode makers for the same 'on-spec' cargoes. Port inventories stayed high through the downcycle, but the structural tightness sits squarely in low-sulfur, low-metal grades, not the high-sulfur barrel.