[+/-] : Magnesium ingot offers in a wide range

Sources reported that the magnesium ingot market has seen more deals concluded over the past ten days with prices in a wide range. Some buyers claimed that they could obtain the material at RMB15,200/t (USD2,225/t) ex works from Shaanxi while some Shanxi-based producers still insist on offers of RMB15,700-15,800/t (USD2,299-2,313/t) ex works.
A Shaanxi-based producer currently offers RMB15,300/t (USD2,240/t) ex works for magnesium ingot but has no spot material to supply. All the output before the beginning ofGOctober has been booked at prices ranging RMB15,150-15,250/t (USD2,218-2,233/t) ex works without acid treatment and package.
According to the source, the magnesium ingot market has become more active since early last week. Many consumers and traders have thrown out orders. Although some smelters keep their offers stable and some even raise offers slightly by RMB50-100/t (USD7-15/t) to RMB15,400-15,500/t (USD2,255-2,269/t) ex works, for they receive more orders, a few smelters who are not so confident in the future market are willing to conclude deals at RMB15,200/t (USD2,225/t) ex works.
The source worries that if more smelters accumulate stocks during the long National Day holiday, the price may experience a slight decrease immediately after the holiday.
The smelter, with a production capacity of 10,000tpy, is running with a monthly output of around 400t.
A North China-based trader just ordered a batch of magnesium ingot at RMB15,200/t (USD2,225/t) ex works from Fugu, Shaanxi to fulfill the signed export contracts. The source confirmed to Asian Metal that magnesium ingot offers stay in a wide range of RMB15,200-15,800/t (USD2,225-2,313/t) ex works. Currently some major Shanxi-based producers still put their offers at RMB15,700-15,800/t (USD2,299-2,313/t) ex works.
"We believe that those who offer RMB15,700-15,800/t (USD2,299-2,313/t) ex works cannot conclude deals at such a high level while others in the region are willing to sell at RMB15,500-15,600/t ex works and those in Shaanxi can accept RMB15,200-15,300/t (USD2,225-2,240/t) ex works," said the source, revealing that the reason that some smelters send high offer is that they have booked out the output in the following few days without spot material in hand.
The source also worries that the magnesium ingot price may retreat slightly in early October as many consumers and dealers have replenished stocks over the past ten days and plan to make some purchases before the long holiday. The source has bought more than 200t of the material in recent one week. ...
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[+/-] : Manganese flakes market to recover next month in Japan

Manganese market remains quiet in Japan but more demand is expected to come from next month as the economy starts to improve. There are some inquiries from Japan but still only few deals are made.
A Japanese trader reported to Asian Metal that they have no inquiry received from local customers yet. "Demand is expected to increase but till the present, the market is still inactive," said the source, who received some offers of about USD2,700-2,750/t CIF Japan early the month.
Currently, manganese price in China drops greatly and some suppliers are ready to sell at around USD2,600/t FOB, which the source believes will hinder the buyers from returning in the near term as the price is on the downturn. The buyer expected to return to the market for some orders after October. The source purchases about 500-1,000tpm of manganese flakes.
Another Japanese trader who also stays watching the market told Asian Metal that they heard a deal of about 200 tons made early this month at about USD2,680/t FOB. The source expects the market to improve gradually in Japan, which they believe will help push manganese market ahead. "But we need to be patient, for it takes time for the demand to rebound and meanwhile the market in China seems unstable with price dropping day by day," said the source.
The source received some offers in the range of USD2,620-2,650/t FOB Chinese main ports and it seems that many Chinese smelters have some stocks at hand, so there is no need to be in a hurry to place an order. ...
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[+/-] : Some antimony producers raise offers slightly

Although export market for antimony ingot and antimony trioxide remains flat, domestic antimony products market witnesses more activities during the week.
Antimony ingot prices rise moderately prompted by a little more buying. Producers who put their offer at RMB38,500-39,000/t (USD5,637-5,710/t) ex works for antimony ingot 99.65%min in Hunan in the previous week raise offers by around RMB500/t (USD73/t) to RMB39,000-39,500/t (USD5,710-5,783/t) ex works with some claiming deals at RMB38,800-39,200/t (USD5,564-5,739/t) ex works. Although most producers do not think the price will jump up steeply, they are confident in seeing the price reaching RMB40,000/t (USD5,857/t) ex works soon stimulated by still tight supply of raw material coupled with increasing demand.
After the lead poisoning incident happened in Yiyang, Hunan province, relevant bureau has started overall environmental checkups on local smelting enterprises. Some producers for antimony oxide and antimony metal with high content of lead and arcenic were required to shut down, leaving producers more concerned about the raw material supply. Additionally, as China is welcoming its 60th anniversery of founding, Beijing is on the highest state of security alert and thus the government is paying more attention to controlling explosives. Therefore, some antimony mines are running with small output for lack of dynamite. The supply of antimony raw material keeps tight in general.
Antimony trioxide market goes stable in the week after the price increased by a small margin early this month. Some smelters are still fulfilling contracts signed at RMB34,500-35,000/t (USD5,051-5,124/t) ex works for antimony trioxide 99.5%min while for new orders with shipment in late September or October, producers quote RMB35,500-36,000/t (USD5,198-5,271/t) ex works for bulk deals. Some Hunan-based producers also reportedly concluded deals at RMB36,500/t (USD5,344/t) d.d.p. with RMB200-300/t (USD29-44/t) for transport cost.
European buyers reported that antimony ingot offers they got were USD50-100/t higher than USD5,600-5,6,50/t CIF Rotterdam. Some Asian buyers also received offers at USD5,650-5,700/t FOB China for antimony ingot 99.65%min. Buyers reported that demand in international market is expected to warm up a little in the fourth quarter but not many postive signs have been seen so far in September, so the price increase is mainly a result of the move inside China. Meanwhile, offers for antimony trioxide 99.5%min stay stable at USD5,100-5,300/t FOB China, and producers and traders reported limited concluded deals. ...
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[+/-] : Antimony Ingots,Antimony trioxide offers slightly rise amid thin trading

Despite thin trading in the market, some producers and traders slightly raise offers for antimony trioxide due to the environmental crackdown. However, they do not think the price will see a great increase given the fact that demand for the material remains slack.
A Hunan-based producer, who is operating with a monthly output of around 450t, currently quotes RMB35,800/t (USD5,242/t) ex works for antimony trioxide 99.8%min, RMB200-300/t (USD29-44/t) higher than offers at the beginning of September. "All the smelting enterprises, including many crude antimony oxide producers, in the industrial park in Yiyang were shut down for pollution, so consumers who usually purchase material there will have to turn to other suppliers," said the source. "We received a little more inquiries recently, so we decided to raise offers slightly." The source also worries that the supply of antimony ore and antimony ingot will further tighten if government takes more stringent measures to regulate mining and smelting.
Meanwhile, the source acknowledged that demand for antimony trioxide both domestically and overseas keeps weak on the whole. Therefore, the price for the material is unlikely to rise by a large scale in a short time. The source predicts that the market will start to turn better from late September and more activities will be seen in October.
"One of our suppliers in Hunan who agreed to sell us antimony trioxide 99.8%min at RMB34,500/t (USD5,051/t) ex works with cash payment raised offers to RMB35,000/t (USD5,124/t) ex works," said a trader based in Central China. "The supplier told us that antimony concentrate supply gets tighter and the price rises again. Since their production cost might increase on higher raw material price, they decide to raise offers."
The source reported that he received more inquiries from end users in the local market, indicating better demand. Therefore, he plans to purchase some antimony trioxide this week in order to cash in on higher price. However, the source does not think the antimony trioxide price will rise because buyers may shy away from the market again on higher-than-expected price as they did in last two months.
The source usually sells 40-50t of antimony trioxide in the spot market. The most recent deal of 5 tons was concluded at around RMB36,000/t (USD5,271/t) d.d.p. at the beginning of this week. ...
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[+/-] : Cobalt powder market keeps weak with price falling

Sources told Asian Metal that the cobalt powder market keeps quiet with the price continuing to drop to RMB370-375/kg (USD54.17-54.90/kg) from RMB370-380/kg (USD54.17-55.64/kg)last week. Most consumers are still watching the market, which will probably press down the price of cobalt powder further.
A producer in Guangdong, with an output of about 10tpm of cobalt powder, told Asian Metal that they have to reduce the price of cobalt powder from around RMB380/kg (USD55.64/kg) to RMB370/kg (USD54.17/kg) because consumers show no interest in buying. "In order to make some deals, we even sell at the price of RMB365/kg (USD53.44/kg)," said the source. "Every August is the off-season time, but it was worse this August. Our sales volume reduced by about half this August compared with the normal level." They have just sold about six tons this August, less than 10t of last month.
The source also revealed that consumers buy in smaller quantity. "Usually, our clients purchase one ton at a time, but they buy 500kg at a time now, even less than that. They are still watching the market," said the source.
Another producer in Jiangsu, with an output of about 15tpm of cobalt powder, confirmed to Asian Metal that the price keeps on declining. They can only make deals at around RMB370-375/kg (USD54.17-54.90/kg) in small lots.
Demand from cemented carbide is still weak. Meanwhile, demand from diamond tools also descends. On the other hand, most consumers are reluctant to buy. For one thing, they still hold enough stock at hand. For another thing, they are waiting for the price to drop further. ...
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