Antimony price keeps stable in Europe

BEIJING (Asian Metal) 2 Aug 05 – As people start to get back from their holidays and China government raised RMB exchange rate against U.S.Asian Metal CopyrightS.Asian Metal Copyright Dollar, market participants believe antimony price would not fall again in this summer.

One Belgium trader told Asian Metal that they just bought a batch of antimony ingot this morning with the price at USD3,500/t in warehouse Rotterdam. “I think Chinese government saved the antimony market. Just at the time when antimony price started to fall and reduced about USD100/t, the exchange rate of Chinese currency against U.Asian Metal Copyright Therefore the actual price would be USD3,600t CIF Rotterdam, which is hard for buyers to accept.Asian Metal CopyrightS. Dollar rose, then the price for antimony rose for around USD100/t,”said the trader.

According to the source, the mainstream price for antimony is between USD3,500-3,550/t in warehouse Rotterdam.

An executive from a German consumer said: “ I'm just back from my three weeks holiday, and I see the price didn’t change. The price was USD3,500/t when I left for holiday, and I guess it wouldn’t change before the summer’s over.Asian Metal CopyrightBEIJING Asian Metal 2 Aug 05 – As people start to get back from their holidays and China government raised RMB exchange rate against U.Asian Metal Copyright”

The company had made a year-long purchase last November. “I'm so glad we don’t need to worry about purchasing until this November.Asian Metal Copyright According to the source, the mainstream price for antimony is between USD3,500-3,550t in warehouse Rotterdam.Asian Metal Copyright The price has gone up so fast, and I think it would rise again after about three weeks when most people are to work.”

A Turkey antimony smelter said their quote for the material is USD3,500/t FOB, but the European buyers refused. “It costs another USD100 on transportation to Rotterdam by truck, and takes about one week for delivery. Therefore the actual price would be USD3,600/t CIF Rotterdam, which is hard for buyers to accept.Asian Metal Copyright “I'm so glad we don’t need to worry about purchasing until this November.Asian Metal Copyright We are thinking about adjusting our price for the market, or maybe we will just wait for another two weeks for the market to rebound,” said a marketing manager of the smelter.

“I think the price is stable now and the price is about the same as three weeks ago,” said the source, “Although the price dropped around USD100/t two weeks ago, it increased USD100/t again last week. I believe the price will not fall again this summer.”