Time needed for clearer antimony market

Beijing (Asian Metal) 23-Feb-05 Although antimony smelters quotes higher prices after the Lunar New Year holiday, some rmb300-500/t raised compared to those before the holiday, it seems that buyers would not like to give an positive response. Industry insiders said that one or two days are still needed for most participants to come back to office and recover their normal business.

"Suppliers are quoting a price of around rmb23500/t, but we did not quote a price, for the market is not so clear enough,” a senior sales manager of a major antimony trioxide smelter in south China told Asian Metal. With 4000tpy production capacity for antimony trioxide, the smelter just recovered operation last Wednesday, running on a 200tpm basis.Asian Metal Copyright Industry insiders said that one or two days are still needed for most participants to come back to office and recover their normal business.Asian Metal Copyright

The source said that it is very normal for the higher offer price, because the industry believes the market prices should rise at the time, citing that most of this time in past years did. "If the market proves really positive next week, I expect the price would soon surge up to rmb26000/t for antimony ingot," predicted the source.

However, the source thinks that a high price level for antimony trioxide at around rmb25000/t is unnecessarily a good news to this industry, for experts asserted that such a high price may force downstream consumers to find substitutes.

"We quote a price over rmb24400/t now for antimony ingot, but before the Spring Festival, it was around rmb24100/t," a senior executive from a minor antimony ingot smelter in Hunan Province told Asian Metal. Although the source acknowledged that it has received no buying interest from the market, it firmly believed that next week buyers would cater for that.Asian Metal Copyright"Chinese suppliers are quoting a price higher than rmb25000t for antimony ingot, but we do not think the price could be so high," said a western company's representative in South China.Asian Metal Copyright For the serious tightness of antimony conc last year, the smelter only produced hundreds of tonnes of antimony ingot, most of which was sold locally.

"Chinese suppliers are quoting a price higher than rmb25000/t for antimony ingot, but we do not think the price could be so high," said a western company's representative in South China. The source revealed that what it could accept is around rmb24500/t, although it is difficult to source some on this level.Asian Metal Copyright"Suppliers are quoting a price of around rmb23500t, but we did not quote a price, for the market is not so clear enough,” a senior sales manager of a major antimony trioxide smelter in south China told Asian Metal.Asian Metal Copyright "The market price may really move up, but we have to be very prudent," said the source, adding, "At least by this moment, we have not found supporting signs from the market." It put usd3200/t CIF as a target price for export at present.