European antimony price remains high despite little demand

BEIJING (Asian Metal) 19 Jul 07 – After Chinese suppliers raised the offers of antimony and antimony trioxide, European market participants did not response to the higher prices and think price is stabilizing at USD5,500-5,600/t in warehouse Rotterdam.
A UK trader claimed that the offers from China are few and in the range of USD5,500-5,600/t for both CIF or in warehouse Rotterdam. According to him, the price was for the 99.65%min standard grade two antimony ingot, and price is USD5,600-5,700/t in warehouse for material with lower bismuth content. “Compared to the offered price last week at higher than USD5,700/t CIF Rotterdam, the price had dropped a little.”
However, the demand is still very weak in the European market that consumers are on summer holidays or have no plan to make purchase in the coming several weeks. The trader thinks price will continue to stabilize at the current level until the middle of August.
According to him, 99.5%min antimony trioxide is offered at USD5,000-5,100/t CIF Rotterdam, but no consumers had showed interest in the material lately.
A Belgium trader who only deals with 99.65%min standard grade two antimony ingot told Asian Metal that the price is in the range of USD5,500-5,700/t CIF Rotterdam, and the offers were made by the Chinese suppliers.
The source sells antimony to consumers in lead industry, and they are also on summer holidays. “I have not sold anything in the passed week, so I may also go on holiday and relax.”