Reporter survey: Energy-saving lamp prices have risen by about 20%
Phosphor prices 10 times, after the suspect 囤 powder, "fried powder"
Energy-saving lamps began to increase prices in mid-July, or about 20%, which was the news that the reporter investigated yesterday for some of the city's energy-saving lamp dealers.
According to the survey, the increase in price of energy-saving lamps has been skyrocketing. The price of fluorescent powder, the main raw material, has skyrocketed, and has increased 10 times in five months. It rose from 300 yuan per kilogram before the Spring Festival to 3,000 yuan per kilogram. In addition to the national adjustment of the rare earth industry, the industry broke the news that some companies have invested 500 million hoarding phosphors.
Energy-saving lamp costs rose by 20%
Yu Liming, deputy secretary-general of the Shanghai Lighting Industry Appliances Association, said: "Now do energy-saving lamps, and the more you do the more losses, you will lose 20% and 30%." According to the survey, a company loses 1 million yuan per month. Loss status has been maintained for 3 months.
According to Manager Wang of Ray Lighting Co., Ltd., the phosphor accounts for more than 10% of the cost of energy-saving lamps, so the price of fluorescent powder caused the energy-saving lamp market to be turbulent. The claim that phosphors accounted for more than 10% of the cost of energy-saving lamps was supported by Yu Liming. .
With regard to the issue of cost-rising of energy-saving lamps, the reporter calculated a bill: Each energy-saving lamp consumes 1 gram of phosphor, according to 3300 kilograms, which is 3.3 yuan per gram. The cost of the phosphor needed to produce an energy-saving lamp is 3.3. Yuan, according to the previous 300 yuan a kilogram to count, 0.33 yuan per gram, with 1 gram of powder cost is 3 cents, so now do a capillary (energy-saving lamp tube) only phosphor costs rose by 3 yuan.
Energy-saving lamp prices rose by 2 to 10 yuan
The reporter yesterday visited 10 energy-saving lamp dealers located at Liuying Road Lighting City. Nine dealers said that they have started to increase prices since mid-July. Only one said that there has been no price increase so far. Each lamp has a price increase ranging from 2 to 10 yuan.
According to a surnamed Zhang retailer, energy-saving lamps began to have a small price increase from the end of last year. At the end of last year and early June, there were price increases. In early August, she felt that prices have risen again, up to 30%. Around, but there is no increase in prices of lamps such as LEDs that use less phosphor.
A Philips dealer said: "The price of different wattage energy-saving lamps is not the same, about 20%." A brand engineering lighting dealer said: "13 watts rose 5 yuan, 55 watts rose 10 yuan."
The only dealer who has not yet increased its prices stated that manufacturers are discussing the issue of price increases and that price increases are inevitable.
CIC: No Notice of Price Increase from Development and Reform Commission
So the price of fluorescent powder, energy-saving lamp prices followed is reasonable? Is the price of energy-saving lamps controlled by the government or the market?
It is understood that there are two types of energy-saving lamps currently on the market. One type is promoted by the government to sub-districts and communities through energy-saving subsidies, and the other is totally market-based. According to the market demand, enterprises will adjust their own prices.
According to the staff of the Energy Conservation Department of the Municipal Economic and Information Technology Commission, the National Development and Reform Commission will hold invitations and invitations for energy-saving lamps every year, and companies will quote for themselves. These energy-saving lamps are mainly provided for communities and sub-districts, and are far below market prices. Successful bidders can Some subsidies from the government, but these companies must strictly follow their own quotations within the next year to sell, unless the NDRC issued a notice of price increases.
This year's energy-saving lamp bidding work ended in July. As for whether the bid price was raised compared with last year, the staff member said: "As of now, no notification has been received."
So, is the current energy-saving lamp circulating on the market “rising†related to the increase in bid prices this year? In this regard, the director of the city's office of the Economic and Credit Commissioner Lin Xing refused an interview with reporters.
Phosphor prices turn 10 times in the short term
Rare Lighting Co., Ltd. Manager Wang has been in the line of lighting appliances for more than 10 years, according to him, the largest increase in phosphor prices in the early years is about 50%, even less than 1 times, and each time There will be a fallback period after the price is completed. However, in February and March of this year, he apparently felt that the price had risen upwards. Within a few months, he had already turned up about 10 times. The original 300 yuan was about 1 kilogram, and now it is between 2,000 yuan and 3,000 yuan a kilogram.
Yu Liming also confirmed that the low-grade phosphor price rose to 2800/kg, and the high-grade one rose to more than 3300/kg, or 3.3 million tons. She said: "The price has started to rise since the second half of last year, but it has risen too fast now, and it is a bit incomprehensible."
Three-color phosphors are important raw materials for the manufacture of energy-saving lamps. The raw materials of phosphors are rare-earth resources. China's rare-earth resources account for more than half of the world's reserves. According to data from the US Geological Survey, the world’s basic reserves of rare earths are 154,000 tons, of which China accounts for 57.7%. The mines are mainly distributed in Baotou, Inner Mongolia, and Suining, Sichuan. From 2003 to 2008, China's rare earth production increased by 31%, supplying more than 90% of the world's demand for rare earth concentrates, and there was excessive mining.
The root cause of the skyrocketing phosphors is the country’s increasingly tight restrictions on rare earth resources. On May 19 of this year, the “State Council’s Several Opinions on Promoting the Sustainable and Healthy Development of the Rare Earth Industry†proposed that in the future, the rare earth industry be attacked and the situation of uncontrolled mining and malicious competition will be curbed.
Behind-the-scenes hand-rolling powder, "fried powder"
According to industry sources, the original one kilogram of phosphor can produce about 250 energy-saving lamps of 20 watts, a capillary tube can only earn 0.8 yuan, and one kilogram of phosphor can only earn 360 yuan, but if he directly sells the accumulated phosphor, One kilogram can earn more than 2,000, and it does not have to pay additional costs such as workers' wages, so some companies hoard their resale phosphors.
Manager Wang of Riel Lighting Co., Ltd. said: “Some manufacturers have responded quickly and bought a large quantity at the beginning of price increase. Now they are hoarding.†Some rare earth manufacturers see the price rising so fast, and they are still in a wait-and-see period. Eager to shoot.
Shanghai Lighting Industry Electric Association, the person in charge by default, phosphor prices rose so fast, there are suspected of corporate speculation. Some companies have spotted the trend of increasing phosphor prices, simply stop production of energy-saving lamps, spend 2 billion on phosphors, and wait until prices rise. Moreover, now that phosphor trading must be cash transactions, a Philips processor lamented that the original product production cycle was to withdraw 80 days of funds, the original procurement of phosphors will give a capital turnover period, and now must cash transactions.
The person in charge said: "We have heard that several relatively large companies have such behavior. One company has spent 50 billion yuan to buy it."
Mingkai Lighting Appliance Co., Ltd. official said: "I think the phenomenon of lotus root starch and fried rice flour is normal, otherwise the price cannot be turned 10 times so exaggerated."