[+/-] : China antimony market: Weekly comment--May Day holiday

After several weeks of slack in trade, China local antimony market is returning to a balance due to rising demand and supply shortage in antimony ore.

Recently small-scale antimony plants in Hunan Province have stopped operation. As a result, a decrease in production has led to a certain stabilization of antimony prices.

Besides antimony producers began to build inventories before May Day holiday.

However, despite the firmer demand, traders made few deals this week as most of antimony ingot manufacturers are waiting for higher prices.

In the previous week, tax-inclusive price of the No2 antimony ingot on Chinese domestic market was RMB41,500 per metric ton. Antimony trioxide was quoted at RMB37,000-37,500 per metric ton.

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[+/-] : European antimony market keeps increasing

Due to the port and river congestion in Vietnam, antimony metal is piled in China and cannot be ship to overseas. European participants reported to Asian Metal that prices are already around USD6,000/t in warehouse Rotterdam, and market will firm in the coming weeks.

A European trader sold several batches of antimony ingot in the passed week in the range of USD5,900-6,000/t in warehouse Rotterdam, and he claimed that he bought material from Chinese suppliers at around USD5,800/t CIF Rotterdam.

According to him, the consumers are interested in buying now that they are afraid that price may go up further in the near future because the material is not being shipped from Vietnam.

He also sells antimony to U.S., and disclosed that he concluded a few deals last week in the range of USD5,900-6,000/t in warehouse Baltimore. He is offering at above USD6,000/t for 99.65%min standard grade two antimony ingot at the moment.

A European trader confirmed increasing price of antimony at either sides of USD6,000/t in warehouse Rotterdam, and he had received some high offers from China. "One supplier made me a fresh offer today at USD6,300/t CIF Rotterdam for good grade of antimony ingot, but this is crazy price that no one is willing to buy at the moment," said the source.

According to him, he had received some low offers at the beginning of the week. "There was one offer of 60t at USD5,650/t CIF Rotterdam for standard grade two material, I took the offer with no hesitation." He thinks the price will continue to increase in the next few weeks with little material available at the

Although no deals concluded last week, the source was confident that more business would come this week. "Consumers buy when they see increasing prices," the source commented

A third trader disclosed that the offers from China are at around USD5,850/t CIF Rotterdam for 99.65%min standard grade two antimony ingot, and in the range of USD5,850-6,050/t in warehouse Rotterdam. He bought some material for his customer at the above prices for shipment arriving early May.
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[+/-] : American antimony trioxide market keeps firm

As supply is tight, American antimony trioxide keeps firm, and dealers reported deals concluded at USD2.65-2.70/lb d.d.p
A trader source disclosed to Asian Metal that he had sold several batches of antimony trioxide in the last two weeks, and deals were concluded in the range of USD2.65-2.70/lb for Twinkling Star brand 99.5%min antimony trioxide.
He opines that the supply from China is not as much as last year, and the consumers are looking for material that they have used up their inventories in the passed two months. "There was almost no new material arrived U.S. in February and March but the consumers continued their production, so the stockpile of the material is low." He holds high price of antimony trioxide is likely to remain for another few weeks.
A U.S. trader confirmed the higher prices of antimony trioxide in American market at USD2.65-2.70/lb d.d.p., and he holds that there is very little material in American warehouses. "Some people may still have a little material bought at cheap prices, but they want to hold for a little higher prices."
The source reviewed the antimony trioxide market from beginning of the year: "the price was very low at the beginning of this year, and many consumers purchased material at that time. Then we had the big jump of price during the Chinese New Year because less material shipped to America. Just about the price starting to fall at the end of last week, Chinese suppliers increased prices again.
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