FERRO-NIOBIUM SNAPSHOT: Prompt supply tight amid continued flows to China

Key data from Fastmarkets’ pricing session in Europe on Wednesday March 17.

Key drivers 

  • Prompt supply in Europe is limited and spot demand is good, market sources said. 
  • Availability in Europe has been tight since the second half of last year because China has been importing large volumes of material amid a better demand outlook than in Europe. 
  • But weakening prices for substitute ferro-vanadium could put some pressure on the ferro-niobium market, market sources added. 
  • Both ferro-vanadium and ferro-niobium are used in the production of steel rebar and can be used interchangeably to meet the required tensile strength in some steel products. 
  • Fastmarkets launched the weekly price assessment for ferro-niobium, delivered consumer works Europe, duty paid on Wednesday following an extended consultation period.

Key quotes
“There are small units passing hands but it’s more difficult to find larger lots. There is not a lot of material around. Availability is tight” – European trader 1

“The market has been relatively quiet and with vanadium prices dipping lately, traders are hesitant to take a position in ferro-niobium” – European trader 2

What to read next
Get the latest on potential port strikes in Sweden and how they could affect pulp and paper trade in the region.
Brazil could reach a share of as much as 7 million tonnes per year in China's distillers dried grains (DDG) and distillers dried grains with soluble (DDGS) markets following an agreement between the two countries that allows Brazilian exports, according to the National Union of Corn Ethanol (Unem).
Fastmarkets' Tina Tong discusses adopting ESG practices for a sustainable ferro-alloys future
Fastmarkets proposes to launch Nordic sawn timber export prices for selected European markets and grades, while discontinuing the PIX Sawn Timber FAS Finland indices. The PIX sawn timber FAS Finland indices have not been widely adopted by the industry and the new price assessments will offer more end-market-specific data for major European markets and will […]
The recent US-China agreement to temporarily reduce tariffs is a major step for global trade, with tariffs on US goods entering China dropping from 125% to 10% and on Chinese goods entering the US decreasing from 145% to 30% starting May 14. While this has boosted markets and created optimism, key industries like autos and steel remain affected, leaving businesses waiting for clearer long-term trade policies.
BEK pulp prices in Europe dropped $40/tonne in April, driven by US import tariff uncertainties and weaker demand in China.