CHINESE ANTIMONY SNAPSHOT: Price stabilises, trade keeps light

Key data from July 8 pricing session in Shanghai.

Key data from July 8 pricing session in Shanghai.

Antimony metal MB Chinese free market MMTA standard grade II delivered duty paid (RMB per tonne) 

Today

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Change to midpoint of range

Midpoint % change

44,000-45,000

44,000-45,000

0

0


Key drivers
-Market availability of antimony concentrate was not ample and the price decline of the raw material was smaller than antimony ingot
-Smelters in Lengshuijiang, Hunan province were heard to be continuing operations at the moment, though operating rates were low due to lower market price levels
-Market inventory of antimony ingot estimated by market participants was at around 30,000-40,000 tonnes in China, including 18,660.76 tonnes on the Fanya Metal Exchange

Key quotes
“Though the price seems stabilised this week, the market [remains] oversupplied, and it’s hard to say how the market will go. [We think] it’s not a good time to trade this metal [and] we have no intention to buy at the moment.”
Trader

“The market is quiet so far this week, but we heard that selloff cargoes have decreased a lot compared with two or three weeks ago.”
Trader

Rena Gu 
rena.gu@steelfirstasia.com