Minmetals June guidance relative to last month, down 5,000 yuan / ton, but still higher than the actual market price of tungsten is expected by the impact of sharply lower Minmetals guidance, confidence or weaker miners, ore prices this week or slipped.

Macro, north of Guangzhou-Shenzhen to promote the fund to support the purchase, Guangzhou again relax the policy; policy "red lines" settled: National Regulatory containment Guoziliushi overweight; former institutions predict that May investment growth fell below 12%.


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MOUNTAIN PASS, Calif.—In the dusty mountains of the California-Nevada border, 4,800 feet above sea level, the U.S.’s only miner and processor of rare-earths elements is struggling to squeeze a profit out of its small open-pit mine and plant.

On Monday, Molycorp Inc. said it would skip a $32.5 million loan payment, triggering a 30-day grace period that could lead to a bankruptcy filing before the end of June. The company is trying to survive one of the biggest commodity bubbles in economic history. Now with a market capitalization of around $150 million, Molycorp is indebted and unprofitable. Customers are putting in orders, but the company hasn’t met production targets at Mountain Pass.

The rise and fall of rare earths, and that of Molycorp, illustrate the fragility of betting on materials. It also echoes risks for investors that have lurked beneath any buildup of artificial demand, from tulips in the 1630s to railways in the 1840s to Internet firms in the 1990s.

In 2010, shortly after Molycorp—formerly a unit of ChevronCorp. sold to private-equity firms in 2008 for $80 million—raised $394 million in a public offering. Around that time, China tightened existing quotas on rare-earths exports in a bid to rein in overproduction and keep more supply available for domestic manufacturers.

In late 2011, the bubble popped, along with Molycorp’s share price. China relaxed restrictions on exports, oversupplying a market of only up to 140,000 tons a year. The iron-ore market is two billion tons a year.

Since 2011, prices for the rare earths lanthanum and cerium, have fallen to under $4 a kilo (2.2 pounds) from over $150 a kilo; and prices for neodymium have declined to under $60 a kilo from over $330 a kilo. Overall, the rare-earths market has shrunk to a billion-dollar market from one worth over $15 billion.

Even as scarcity fueled by Chinese quotas on rare-earths exports drove up Molycorp shares, engineers went to work finding substitute ingredients. “And the high prices back then encouraged more mining,” says Dudley Kingsnorth, an Australian academic who has advised the U.S. Department of Defense on rare earths.

In late 2012, Mr. Smith was dismissed without a statement from the company. Mr. Smith defends his record as CEO, arguing that he was focused on simply building a profitable mining company, and noting that the government’s investigation indicated no wrongdoing.

Molycorp has suffered three straight years of quarterly losses. It has $1.7 billion in debt. It had aimed to produce 20,000 metric tons a year at Mountain Pass. Instead, it has been able to generate only slightly more than half that amount. The stock price has fallen to under a dollar per share. The company warned investors in April that if prices and profits don’t improve, it will have to “cease operations as a going concern.”

The popping of the rare-earths bubble has also harmed the fortunes of hundreds of small prospecting companies trying to exploit new deposits all over the world, and Australia’s Lynas Corp., the other big rare-earths producer outside China, which has struggled to turn a profit.

Geoff Bedford, who took over as Molycorp’s chief executive in 2013, insisted in a recent interview that the company’s deposit was “very good” but said the company has had problems with processing. On a recent tour of the company’s processing plant, manager Rocky Smith showed off buildings packed with pipes and large tubs where the rare-earth ore is crushed, floated and leached.

The company’s big sellers are neodymium and praseodymium, used to make magnets in cellphones, cars and computers, and lanthanum, used to refine petroleum.

Molycorp hopes new contracts can save it. In April, it announced a 10-year deal with Siemens AG. “We also buy from China, but for us it’s important to diversity the sourcing of our magnet material,” said Bernd Eilitz.


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Tungsten market weakness steady this week, APT smelter walking home goods difficult, tentative offer constantly falling, no significant improvement in market demand. This week tungsten concentrate, ammonium paratungstate prices down slightly vulnerable. It is understood that this week, 65% of wolframite mainstream offer about 83,000 yuan / ton, the actual transaction price 82,000 yuan / ton. This week's grades for the APT-0 paratungstate offer about 126,000 yuan / ton, the actual transaction price 124,000 yuan / ton.

Recent Tungsten Market demand has continued to slump, the current policy of good news Write to support the market. Analysts believe that the short-term tungsten concentrate, ammonium paratungstate market or slightly lower, but does not rule out the possibility of shock consolidation.


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Tungsten market: With the continued sluggish demand for tungsten, tungsten smelter home this week and trading company in advance of the guidance issued on another lower offer, to acquire more orders. APT smelter difficulty walking home goods, tentative offer constantly falling, no significant improvement in market demand. Write the current policy of good news to support the market, is expected to be announced in June or guide price continued to decline.

With the continued sluggish demand for tungsten, tungsten smelter home this week and trading company in advance of the guidance issued on another lower offer, to acquire more orders are expected to be announced in June or guide price continued to decline.

Macro level, institutions predict that May CPI increased 1.4%, or monetary policy in June and then relax; OPEC is expected to remain not cut domestic oil prices next Monday or down; before April trade between China and Central and Eastern Europe declined.


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Tungsten market: As the tungsten market demand continues to slump, few large companies and national acquisitions, resulting in guidance diminishing impact on the market dynamics, tungsten powder smelter home earlier this month in order to win orders, two days after another lower offer, the recent price powder The overall decline. Stable raw material market, buyers and sellers are not high turnover of enthusiasm. There are few businesses that although market turnover has been low, but the combination of mining costs and other factors to consider, limited post-market downside can be expected to stabilize.

Since the tungsten market demand continues to slump, few large companies and national purchasing and storage, resulting in guidance diminishing impact on the market dynamics, tungsten powder smelter home earlier this month in order to win orders, lower offer in advance, unlike the usual and other guidance issued after then gradually adjust our offer, signing orders. APT and tungsten powder sales still seem light and exports continued poor demand for imports to Europe and Japan narrowed, severe pressure on export prices.

It is understood that Ganzhou Huamao take the product line differentiation (especially over rough ultrafine tungsten carbide powder) sell very well, running at full capacity, the end of May, according to the account of different particles in the order price of roughly 192-195 yuan / kg. To win orders, yesterday Dayu Longxin Thai, Ganzhou goods letters smelter home, trading companies are starting to offer lower, tungsten carbide particles concentrated in the 193 yuan / kg (cash).


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Since the tungsten market demand continues to slump, few large companies and national acquisitions, resulting in guidance diminishing impact on the market dynamics, tungsten powder smelter home earlier this month in order to win orders, two days after another lower offer, the recent powder prices fell.

Macro, three industry camp changed to increase package in July or the real estate tax rate of 11%; car Antitrust Guidelines will be introduced, IP Antitrust Guidelines being drafted; oil or meet next Monday the 4th year cut.


Tungsten Manufacturer & Supplier: Chinatungsten Online - http://www.chinatungsten.com
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Paratungstate commodity index was 52.91, unchanged from the previous day, a record low cycle than September 1, 2011 the highest point of 100.00 points decreased by 47.09%. Tungsten concentrate commodity index was 54.22, unchanged from yesterday, a record low cycle, compared with September 12, 2011 the highest point of 100.00 points decreased by 45.78%.

Ammonium paratungstate prices steady, mainstream offer 124,000 yuan / ton, the actual transaction price of about 122,000 yuan / ton, lower market turnover, June tungsten ore market or price volatility is not, at present spot transactions stalemate.


Tungsten Manufacturer & Supplier: Chinatungsten Online - http://www.chinatungsten.com
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Email:  sales@chinatungsten.com
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Tungsten market: tungsten concentrate cargo operators do not want to offer low-priced goods to go and willingness to reduce the downstream tungsten smelters home raw material procurement difficulties, mostly tungsten concentrate spot market inquiry, so the whole tungsten ore spot market prices are in the range low, but the actual ore price does not fall, expected short-term ore price or the maintenance of stability in the 7.5-7.9 million. Small European strategic metal tungsten offer $ 255 / metric ton; tungsten iron price $ 33.25 / kg were associated with the 28th prices were flat.