Tungsten Market Stalemate Awaits Breakthrough

Details: Category: Tungsten's News; Published on Monday, 24 March 2025 14:13

Analysis of latest tungsten market from Chinatungsten Online

On Monday, tungsten prices remained stable, with tight resource availability at the mining end and lackluster downstream terminal demand continuing to pull the market in opposite directions. This essentially reflects a contest between the long-term strategic value of tungsten and short-term economic cycles.

Divergent views between bullish and bearish market participants are evident, leading to a stagnant trading atmosphere and pervasive wait-and-see sentiment.

The price of 65% wolframite concentrate saw a slight uptick around the $19,718.3/ton mark, but actual transactions were difficult to finalize. Market supply-demand alignment remains insufficient, with traders mostly operating on a need-based approach during negotiations, dominated by a cautious mindset.

Ammonium paratungstate (APT) prices are stuck at $329.4/mtu, influenced by both firm mining costs and expectations of short-term demand shortages. Participants exhibit a strong wait-and-see attitude, with neither buyers nor sellers showing a willingness to break the deadlock, resulting in low trading activity.

Tungsten powder prices are holding steady at around $43.9/kg, while tungsten carbide powder is reported near $43.2/kg. Upstream raw material costs maintain some resilience, but downstream terminal purchasing enthusiasm remains tepid, with insufficient order growth keeping the market in a sideways deadlock.

Ferrotungsten (70% grade) prices are stable at the $30,422.5/ton level. Recently, the cost side has shown relative instability, while demand remains lukewarm. A follow-the-market mentality dominates, with no notable increase in trading activity.

In the tungsten waste and scrap market, recent activity in the recycling segment has picked up, driving prices to recover somewhat compared to raw tungsten materials. However, subdued downstream demand remains a key limiting factor, with limited positive momentum in the market, which is still waiting for a new catalyst to break the current stalemate.

Prices of tungsten products on March 24, 2025