Core tips: tungsten products prices move up constantly, downstream traders are confused how to make next move. The situation of ‘high price but low demand’ intensifies drastically in tungsten product market.

Tungsten miners in China hold confused attitude that only tungsten products prices go up, transaction volume cannot be pushed up relatively. Generally, it is hard to make a deal in tungsten ore market. As to relate tungsten products, demand of ammonium paratungstate (APT) is still very low. It is hard for suppliers to receive order from end user that many factory owners choose to stop producing. Ferrotungsten, which is affected by high purchasing cost, increase its price relatively. The transaction price of ferrotungsten reaches ￥181,000.00/t. Chinatungsten Online expected that general situation of tungsten products market is steady, some of them has slightly change, which is led by guiding tungsten product price. 

The mainstream scrap tungsten price maintains steady. The transaction price excluding tax of bit concentrates on ￥187.00-￥191.00/kg, domestic blade is ￥172.00-￥176.00/kg, imported blade is ￥182-186/kg; scrap pure tungsten block is ￥208.00-￥213.00/kg.

The price of the content of scrap tungsten grinding material which is more than 70W is ￥1330.00/mtu, 50W-70W is ￥1270.00/mtu, 30W-40W is ￥1110.00/mtu. The scrap tungsten prices above are steady. 10W-20W tungsten unit to ￥635.00/mtu while 8W-10W tungsten to ￥571.00/mtu.

Tungsten ore price goes up constantly under the strong willing to increase of providers. However, most tungsten ore providers cannot find properly consumers which means higher risk of tungsten ore price decreasing. Under the situation of weak demand and supply, it is difficult for scrap tungsten suppliers to break out current steadiness. Chinatungsten Online expects that scrap tungsten price will keep stable in short term.

In the international market, mainly oversea tungsten market price keeps stable as usual. By the night of 7th, the guiding price of MB ferrotungsten in warehouse Rotterdam maintains $42.75-43.50 per kilogram tungsten; the quotation of ammonium paratungstate keeps $304.00-330.00 metric tones unit.

Owing to the guiding prices, the APT suppliers hold offers firm and even raise APT prices slightly. But as the downstream customers are inactive in purchasing the materials, the APT market is still quiet this week.

One of APT suppliers based in Jiangxi, whose regular capacity is around 300 tons per months, noted that they are out of production now and they have no intention in resuming production in a short time owing to the unfavorable future market. The source revealed that the APT prices are around RMB176,000-178,000/t (USD316-319/mtu) now, and some offers are even higher. But only a few deals are concluded in small quantities.

The source told Chinatungsten Online that only some major buyers collect materials for pushing up prices, but downstream consumers refuse to accept the current price. Owing to the weak demand, it is unlikely for the APT prices to move up sharply in a short time. The source added that they will hold offers firm and watch the market for a while.

An end-user for APT in Fujian noted that they receive offers for APT at RMB176,000-178,000/t (USD316-319/mtu) this week, and some offers even move up to around RMB179,000-180,000/t (USD321-323/mtu). He added that they have some stocks in hand, and they have no intention in adding stocks in a hurry.

The source stated that the APT offers are chaotic in the spot market, and most of the APT suppliers hold offers firm and intend to increase prices. But as the demand from the domestic and overseas markets does not pick up, the APT prices are hard to increase to the guiding prices level. Furthermore, many downstream customers watch the market for a while, and the trading volume will keep small in the near future.

Today tungsten ore price in China increases again. The quotation of 65W tungsten concentrate based on Ganzhou, Hunan focus on ￥115,000.00-118,000.00 per metric ton based on Ganzhou, Hunan, individuals has moved up to over ￥120,000.00 per metric ton scheelite concentrate mainstream quotation concentrates on ￥112,000.00-115,000.00 per metric ton.

According to the observation of Chinatungsten Online, tungsten ore market still at a loss that purchasing price is high while shipment is low. Insiders from Chinatungsten Online notes, under impact of guiding tungsten ore price and trader’s willing, tungsten ore suppliers will insist to increase tungsten ore price drastically.

The mainstream scrap tungsten price maintains steady. The transaction price excluding tax of bit concentrates on ￥187.00-￥191.00 per kilogram, domestic blade is ￥172.00-￥176.00 per kilogram, imported blade is ￥182-186 per kilogram; scrap pure tungsten block is ￥208.00-￥213.00 per kilogram.

The price of the content of scrap tungsten grinding material which is more than 70W is ￥1330.00 per metric tones unit, 50W-70W is ￥1270.00 per metric tones unit, 30W-40W is ￥1110.00 per metric tones unit. The prices above are steady. 10W-20W tungsten unit to ￥635.00 per metric tones unite while 8W-10W tungsten to ￥571.00 per metric tones unite.

Tungsten ore price goes up constantly. Although transaction volume is not satisfied enough, tungsten ore suppliers are more willing to increase their price at the end of year. The situation of scrap tungsten keeps steady. Under the pressure of weak demand and out of production, the change of tungsten ore price seems no driving force. Chinatungsten Online expects that it is hard for market to break out this pattern in short term.

In the international market, mainly oversea tungsten market price keeps stable as usual. By the night of 7th, the guiding price of MB ferrotungsten in warehouse Rotterdam maintains $42.75-43.50 per kilogram tungsten; the quotation of ammonium paratungstate keeps $304.00-330.00 metric tones unit.

Tungsten miners in China hold confused attitude that only tungsten product price goes up, transaction volume cannot be pushed up relatively. Generally, it is hard to make a deal in tungsten ore market. As to relate tungsten product, price range of ammonium paratungstate (APT) becomes bigger, the highest of them could reach ￥176,000.00/t; scrap tungsten suppliers note that many of them are out of production. Domestic blade based in Henan is firm at ￥172.00-￥176.00 per kilogram. Chinatungsten Online expected that general situation of tungsten product market is steady, some of them has slightly change, which is led by tungsten product guiding price. 

The Tungsten bar market is quiet this week, and many tungsten bar suppliers hold wait-and-see attitudes toward the market. Owing to the increasing tungsten concentrate and ammounious paratungstate (APT) prices, some tungsten bar suppliers intend to increase offers. However, under the current weak demand, the prices are hard to increase sharply.

The tungsten electrode suppliers remains quiet this week, and the trading volume does not see any obvious improvements. The tungsten concentrate and ammounium patatungstate (APT) prices move up slightly, but as consumers are cautious in adding stocks, the tungsten electrode suppliers hold offers stable tentatively and watch the market for a while. A producer based in Hebei, whose output is around 5 tons per month for tungsten electrode, noted that they quote prices for ground thorium tungsten electrode at RMB420-430/kg (USD66.7-68.3/kg) this week, unchanged compared with those of last week. He added that they still keep on production now, and have some stocks in hand. As the demand for tungsten electrode is unfavorable, tungsten electrode suppliers have mainly deal with old orders.

According to higher tungsten concentrate price, many tungsten scraps recyclers lift offers. However, there are few purchasing activities in spot market, as consumers with few orders on hand rebuild stocks cautiously. 

Tungsten concentrate prices goes higher but the demand remains dull. Only major buyers collect materials for pushing up prices, but downstream consumers refuse to accept the current price.