The global tungsten market in 2026 is marked by extreme volatility driven by geopolitical tensions, trade disputes, and resource nationalism, especially between China and the US. These dynamics have caused significant supply disruptions and price surges across tungsten products.

Mitsui & Co has locked in long-term copper concentrate supply by acquiring 40% offtake rights to Argentina's Josemaria deposit, while Fortescue has completed its acquisition of Peru's Cañariaco project for approximately C$139 million ($101 million), marking the latest in a wave of offtake deals and mergers and acquisitions (M&A) while majors race to secure supply amid an increasingly constrained market and record-low treatment charges (TCs).

Chinese export controls and reduced supply of heavy rare earth products to Japan have the potential to permanently change the rare earth market. On March 19, Fastmarkets, an industry-leading cross-commodity price reporting agency, will launch three new prices to directly address the needs of this new market dynamic.  These new prices are:  *Dysprosium oxide 99.5%, cip global, $/kg  […]

Accelerating energy storage deployment is reshaping lithium demand, broadening the market beyond electric vehicles (EVs) and reducing reliance on a single growth driver.

The publication of Fastmarkets’ AG-PLM-0019 Refined bleached deodorised (RBD) palm olein assessment for March 16 was delayed due to a reporter error. Fastmarkets’ pricing database has been updated.

Soybean oil prices rose to 67.3 cents, driven by Middle East disruptions and strong biofuel margins. Fastmarkets predicts continued price strength amid geopolitical risks.

The European Union’s Industrial Accelerator Act (IAA), published on Wednesday March 4, was a new step in the bloc’s efforts to decarbonize heavy industry and to support strategic supply chains in sectors such as steel, cement and aluminium.

Fastmarkets will increase the frequency of its two existing CIF China port copper scrap prices and add three new grades on Monday March 16.

The aluminium market is being pulled in two directions by the Middle East conflict: upstream feedstocks sit in temporary buffer stocks, while delivering metal to consuming regions is becoming increasingly difficult.

Jeddah in Saudi Arabia and Port of Sohar in Oman are becoming tactical workarounds for base metal exports blocked by the Strait of Hormuz closure, with cargo transiting via land-bridge to other Gulf states, such as Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates – though capacity constraints and elevated logistics costs limit availability, sources with direct visibility of Gulf supply chains told Fastmarkets.