China's antimony ingot prices hold firm; Jan-Feb exports down

China's antimony ingot prices have held firm quoting at $5,500-5,600/mt on a CIF basis despite a thin market. Buying interest from overseas remains lacking, said industry sources on Monday, as current high prices continued to slow overseas demand.

An official from Beijing Antaike, the state-run nonferrous metals information provider, told Platts: "Prices were down slightly by $50-100 right after the Lunar New Year in mid-February but they soon rebounded to the level seen in early 2007." But he noted that spot trade had been subdued due to a lack of buying interest. "Spot deals are still very slow-moving as overseas consumers still find prices too expensive for them."
One local trader said most offer prices for antimony remained strong at around $5,600/mt on a CIF basis. "Export prices are still firm. The Chinese government limits exports from the country and prices are strong due to limited supplies."

Industry sources said China was to release about 60,000 mt of export quotas this year on antimony.

Meanwhile, the Antaike official anticipated that China's antimony output was to reach about 135,000-140,000 mt in 2007, up slightly compared with about 130,000 mt produced in 2006. "I expect the output level growth won't exceed 5% year on year in 2007. It would be a small growth this year as Chinese antimony output remains restricted by limited antimony concentrate supplies," he said.

According to latest customs statistics, China exported 692 mt of unwrought antimony, waste and scrap in January-February 2007, down 63.2% from the same period last year. Their value also plunged 41.1% year on year to $3.52 million.





Best regards,
＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊
DONGGUAN JIEFU FLAME-RETARDED MATERIALS CO.,LTD
Sam Xu 许彪
Sales Engineer 　
Tel: 86-769-8312-0165
Fax: 86-769-8310-1592
Mobile:13929211059

E-mail: xubiao_1996@hotmail.com samjiefu@gmail.com
Add: jiefu industrial park shuiping industrail district dalang town dongguan GD,P.R.C
WebSite: http://www.jiefu.com
blog:http://jiefuantimonytrioxide.blogspot.com

Export: antimony ingots,ATO,dust free ATO,ATO masterbatches EVA80.EAV90;PE80,PE90,PVC85,PP80,ETC, other flame retardant masterbatches,
¤ ╭⌒╮ ╭⌒⌒╮
╱-◥██◣ ╭ ╭ 工作顺利！天天开心！ @-@
︱田︱田田| ╰----------------------
╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬