The first trading week of June, China domestic tungsten market has slight fell down, and the price continues decrease slowly. APT price decreasing range and speed is higher than tungsten concentrate and tungsten powder.

In mid-May, the tungsten price is being decrease slowly, but the tungsten concentrate decline range is not so obvious. 65% tungsten concentrate price declined form highest 78,000 RMB/ton to the current 72,000 RMB/tons, down by 7.7%. Supported by mine cost, when the capital is sufficient and traders and mining mentality is still good, the price will not decline sharply. The end of May and the beginning of June, some small mines have been recovery production and the products will gradually flow to the market this month, but the quantity of tungsten concentrate production is not large. The end of May, after concentrated to release a part of tungsten concentrates stock, the tungsten ore traders who are currently showing a little reluctant to sell it, so the price is stable. They are waiting for the right time.

The price of finished tungsten products which are made by tungsten powder also decline, affected by raw material price fell down. Although tungsten powder manufacturers price adjustment appeared late, but subject to the poor turnover, in the end of May they were forced to cut prices. At the beginning of May, when raw material price increased, tungsten carbide purchase willing has become increasingly weak, because it is very difficult for alloy product to increase the price. Besides, the cost of the alloy was gradually increased to the bearable breakeven line and many manufacturers unbearable to stand it, so some alloy companies decided to reduce the production to avoid the high cost production after the rapid rise. However, the price suddenly declined at the end of May, so tungsten carbide manufacturers do not worry to buy raw material. They can buy raw material as needed and turnover is little.

The price of APT decline range and speed is relatively large. From the highest 127,000 RMB/ton fell to the lowest 111,000 RMB/ton, drop by 12.6%. In the bulk market, traders faster adjusted the price and in the mid-May quick released a part of APT in the short term to maintain the early profit and can get the cash for circulation. However, APT manufacturers’ price adjustment is relatively cautious. They are focused on the long single-oriented transactions, making price change relatively modest. Whether the price increase or slight decline, APT price not only maintains a reasonable profit, but also surrenders part of the profits to manufacturers of finished tungsten product, having strong sense for maintain old customers. This week, APT decline range and speed became slow. There is not too much APT stock at the current price. Besides, the traders cut the prices for sale is fewer, and most of them holds wait and see attitude.

As we knew, tungsten market is in the stalemate situation. So whether in raw material or in finished tungsten products, the buyers and the sellers have both been stalemate.

This week tungsten market still has some good news been announced. The guide price of Minmetals and prediction average price of Ganzhou Tungsten Industry Association which often release on 5th of every month this month will be re-released after the eight tungsten enterprises meeting on June 7, 2016.

June 7, 2016 the eight largest tungsten mining enterprises will gather in Chaozhou to hold the third meeting, and the topic will focus on "production reduction, production limitation, quoted price". Tungsten market has high degree concern on this meeting, because after the first two meeting, market confidence has been greatly boosted and the meeting can well reflect the market price. The effect of this meeting is still worth to wait, but in the off-season June, July and August, the probability of prices rise sharply is small, but the probability of price maintain in the cost line is large.

The price of tungsten at the end of May price increase came to an end, and has started to slight decline. The main reason is tungsten concentrate and other raw materials price has declined lacking of motivation, so it drops tungsten alloy prices to decline. Beside, the steel market price is declining sharply and the demand is shrinking, resulting in tungsten-based product price slight fell down. In addition, the upcoming meeting of tungsten enterprises, the market is now relatively calm. Manufacturers are waiting for the meeting results for their further action. It is expected that tungsten raw material and tungsten finished product prices will temporarily shrink in the future. There are many China leading tungsten enterprises scheduled on June 7 gathered in Chaozhou, Guangdong, to discuss the company’s production status and current and future situation of tungsten market, and the leading companies including Minmetals, Jiangxi Tungsten Industry Group, Xiamen Tungtsen and so on.

According to statistics, China has been represented 23% of the world's total rare earth reserves, 47% tungsten reserves, and supplied 90% rare earth products for the international market for a long time. Xihua Mountain is the oldest tungsten mine in China, has been described as pedigree of chinese tungsten industry. After one hundred years of mining history, Xihua Mountain has made outstanding contributions for new China exports, development of special steel industry. However, with the gradual depletion of mineral resources, the development of the area has lagged behind its surrounding area in recent years. Because the unreasonable exploitation of tungsten ore resources is not only an outflow of wealth, but also a serious damage to the environment.

Tungsten ore resources belong to rare earth that is an important strategic non-renewable resource. It is an important raw material to new energy vehicles, missile defense systems, wind turbines, smart phones and other technology products. Chemical properties of tungsten are stable, at room temperature it would not react with air and water. Although China's rare earth is one of the largest storage country in the world, but 90% of tungsten resources in international markets are provided by China, resulting in a rapid decline of rare earth resources in China. China gradually made corresponding measures to solve these problems. In 2011, the government had issued the "Opinions on Promoting the Sustainable and Healthy Development of Rare Earth Industry." Therefore, China continues to strengthen the regulation of the tungsten ore mining in recent years, production tungsten heater will also reduce, although the tungsten resources is gradually exhausted, but until 2012, resource-based enterprises are more than 35 enterprises, accounting for 57.1% of the total number of the enterprise. Therefore, the regulation the tungsten mining will have an impact on the tungsten heater production and prices, but the industry still has good prospects for development.