Due to tight export controls the price of tungsten has been skyrocketing. In an interview with Tungsten Investing News, Pierre Monet President of Malaga Inc. talks about the tungsten market and their mining operations.
Tungsten prices continue to rise, gaining approximately 80 per cent since October of 2010. The lack of supply from mining operations in the West as well as increased domestic demand in China has supported the price of tungsten.
The supply of tungsten in 2011 will be helped by the increases in production quotas in China. However the slight increase in the quota will only alleviate supply issues slightly. In the long run, the cap to minor metals production in China due to the new ‘five year plan’ will further supply side issues on the world market.
A lack of supply has been driving up the price of tungsten on the world market. The further reduction of exports from China is only exacerbating the problem. As new uses and the economic recovery take off new mining will have to make up the difference or severe shortages will be the reality. In an exclusive interview, Stephen Leahy, CEO of American Tungsten explains the factors driving the market.
The prices for tungsten have skyrocketed as much as 81 per cent over the last year due to tight supply chains. China’s second largest tungsten producer announces a three month shut down for repairs, adding scarcity in the market. Also, tungsten miners announce developments on their projects.
The reduction of export quotas from China, the world’s leading producer of the metal helped the price nearly triple over the course of the year. Recent reports from China have the quotas increasing nearly 10 percent for the first half of 2011. What will be the major stories for the tungsten market in 2011?
As with many other base metals, China is looking to further reduce the exports of tungsten and may create a ‘strategic stockpile’ of the metal. These factors could make China a net importer of tungsten in 2011, a major benefit to non-Chinese producers of the metal.
China Represses Illegal Mining of Tungsten, Antimony, and Fluorspar according to the Ministry of Land and Resources (www.mlr.gov.cn). Ji Wenlin, director of ministry’s general office said that this action will put a stop on all exploration and mining operations without licence to operate. Click here to access the entire news
China produced 25,211 tons of tungsten concentrate in the first four months of 2009, up 18.71 percent on an annual basis, as per a report from the China Tungsten Industry Association on May 27. For full story, click here
China declared that it has suspended the approval process for new antimony, tungsten and rare earth mines until the end of June next year, excluding selected projects, to preserve its resources for future need. For full story, click here
Wednesday, June 29, 2011