Antimony trioxide export market sees few deals

BEIJING (Asian Metal) 4 May 12 – Market insiders reported to Asian Metal that antimony trioxide export market is sluggish with price keeping stable generally at about USD11,200-11,300/t FOB China.

A Guangdong-based trader with a trading volume of about 140tpm told Asian Metal that his offer was about USD11,250-11,300/t FOB China for antimony trioxide 99.5%min in the past two weeks and keeps the offer after the May Day holiday (29th April – 1 May). "I concluded an order at around USD11,200/t FOB China just after the May Day holiday," said the source.

Another antimony trioxide exporter from Guangdong revealed that he keeps the offer at USD11,250-11,300/t FOB China for antimony trioxide 99.5%min after the holiday, the same as that ten days ago. "I hold 40-50t of antimony trioxide in stock and replenish after getting orders from overseas market," said the source, adding that his export volume decreased by 50% compared with that in 2010.

Commenting on the market, both the sources revealed a sluggish movement in antimony trioxide market in the past month, but customers from overseas market gradually accept above USD13,500/t FOB China for antimony ingot 99.65%min after the crackdown of Chinese Vietnam border illegal business, so the antimony trioxide produced in European market is not competitive compared with that exported from China in the future, and they expect the antimony trioxide export price will hover at present level in the short term.