European antimony market waits to surge

BEIJING (Asian Metal) 19 Feb 08 – As European consumers are still resisting high prices, the antimony market is stable at the moment. However, dealers are confident that prices will increase again after a few more days.
A European trader sold one container of 99.65%min standard grade two antimony ingot at USD6,130/t in warehouse Rotterdam, and he holds that the availability of antimony in warehouse Rotterdam is not much.
The offers he received from Chinese suppliers were in the range of USD6,200-6,300/t CIF and in warehouse Rotterdam.
According to him, very few offers from Chinese suppliers are for Rotterdam warehouse prompt release, and most of the offers are for March shipment. "For March shipment, some will leave the port on 31st, and we can expect those material no earlier than middle of May," said the source who disclosed that one can ask for 60t lot for March shipment and only 20t for immediate shipment.
Another trader confirmed the offered price at USD6,100-6,300/t CIF Rotterdam, but he did not accept the offers as he still have a little material in warehouse. However, he had not sold any material in the last two weeks. “Demand is almost none now because the price is high.”
Despite the weak demand from buyers, the trader believes price will remain at high level because the consumers will realize there is not much material available in warehouse Rotterdam, and there is little material from China before the end of March.