LYNAS - auf dem Weg zu einem Rohstoffproduzent von Hightech-Rohstoffen (Seite 5202)

[VirtualNormann]

[impyer]

ein schöner Ansiteg, mal schauen wie der Kurs weiter geht.

Bisher bin ich ganz zufrieden.

[Fuenfvorzwoelf]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 38.362.007 von Fuenfvorzwoelf am 11.11.09 00:41:35

http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/

[Fuenfvorzwoelf]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 38.361.953 von DIE_GERECHTIGKEIT am 11.11.09 00:14:01

18 Uhr EST.

Sollte bei uns in 9 h sein, oder?

Also um 9 Uhr 40???

Kann das jemand bestätigen???

[DIE_GERECHTIGKEIT]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 38.361.928 von Fuenfvorzwoelf am 11.11.09 00:02:29

..wann ist der denn genau?

[Fuenfvorzwoelf]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 38.361.927 von Fuenfvorzwoelf am 11.11.09 00:01:49

Tauche diverse Buchstaben gegenseitig und so weiter...

[Fuenfvorzwoelf]

Viewiel Uhr ist has dier?

[Fuenfvorzwoelf]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 38.353.321 von JoJo49 am 10.11.09 06:46:18

Wer nimmt teil am Call???

[JoJo49]

10 November 2009
LYNAS QUARTERLY REPORT INVESTOR RELATIONS CALL
http://www.lynascorp.com/content/upload/files/Announcements/…
http://translate.google.com/translate?js=y&prev=_t&hl=de&ie=…

Grüsse JoJo

[JoJo49]

Der Metal-Pages Marktrückblick Oktober 2009


http://www.metal-pages.com/newsletters/200910/

Market report October 2009 (newsletter)

Not too many fireworks

- Antimony - Bismuth - Cadmium - Cobalt - Germanium - Indium - Magnesium - Manganese - Selenium - Silicon - Tellurium - Tungsten - Bulk_Ferro-Alloys - Ferro-Silicon - Ferro-Chrome - Noble_Alloys - Ferro-Molybdenum - Ferro-Vanadium - Ferro-Tungsten - Ferro-Titanium - Rare_Earths

After a flurry of activity in late summer, September was quieter than expected for most markets and October only more so.

The exception at the start of the month were the bulk alloys, which bucked the trend seen other steelmaking raw materials, but even these succumbed to the general uncertainty in the steel market towards the end of the month.

Although the US, France and Germany are now technically out of recession, the current gloom was summed up in figures in October by steel consultancy MEPS, which showed steel demand is expected to be down 31.4% in the EU 27 countries. There is now talk that too much capacity has been brought online to soon, both in steel and in the stainless steelmaking raw material ferro-chrome.

Trade activity in most minor metals also slowed down in October, with only cobalt performing another sharp turnaround, repeating the pattern seen in the previous quarters. The market is now gearing up to the London Metal Exchange futures contract which will launch in February next year, and tradeable stocks need to be built up for this to succeed. Hence there was a sudden pick up in speculative interest in the metal straight after the LME week, followed by consumer demand being flushed out into the market as prices rose.

Spot business for magnesium ingot has remained quite slow this month due to a lack of consumer demand, despite somewhat stronger production figures seen in the global automotive sector. The latter however is attributed to government-backed scrappage schemes in the US and Europe, some of which are now coming to an end. France and the US have extended theirs, to support domestic manufacture.

Some market dealers in China, the world's largest supplier of magnesium predict a further decline in magnesium prices in the coming month, due to relatively high industry stocks and low demand.

The tungsten markets continued to weaken in October and is expected to keep gloomy in the remainder of this year. There was temporary talk of a pick up in demand for tungsten carbide and other materials used in the cutting tools in the automotive industry, but this has not been reflected in price trends.

Antimony prices kept rising through most of October, following the fatal accident at the South Mine of Twinkling Star in Hsikwangshan on October 8. In the wake of the accident, the government of Hunan province ordered safety inspections of all mining activities, and this disrupted output of antimony ore, according to producers. However sky-high prices hampered business, and smelters were forced to cut offers in the last week of October, prompting a slide in both Chinese domestic and overseas prices.

The market to watch at the moment is silicon, where prices began to move up in October, in line with the rapid rise in the Chinese market, on the back of restricted production, since low water levels have affected power generation in the country's silicon producing areas. Western prices were slow to keep up with the almost daily rise in Chinese export offers, but the upward trend became more widely established towards the end of the month.

ANTIMONY

October saw the surge in antimony prices stop and prices begin to fall again as sales from China ground to a halt.

Traders have been wary of the higher prices from China since the accident on 8 October at the South Mine of Hsikwangshan Twinkling Star Co halted all mining in Hunan province while the government safety inspections were being carried out.

In China antimony metal prices had increased by 10% in just two weeks since the accident to Rmb44,500-45,500/tonne ($6,534-6,681/tonne) from Rmb 40,000-41,000/tonne ($5,873-6,020/tonne) seen t the start of October. However the market returned to lower levels of Rmb43,500-44,500/tonne ($6,387-6,534/tonne) in the last week of October, as transactions remained slow.

Export prices for antimony metal kept moving up since the second week of October and reahced a historical high level of $6,500-6,600/tonne FOB in the third week, but fell back to $6,450-6,550/tonne FOB in the last week of the month.

In Europe, material has been tight on the ground in Rotterdam for weeks, supporting high prices, but the latest rise was more than the market could accept.

Sales decreased through the month as prices rose. A couple of recent sales of 10 tonnes and less of grade two material were reported in the range $6,400-6,525/tonne basis Rotterdam. It was thought unlikely, however, that prices would fall far, as there are still limited raw material supplies in China.
Tracking the rise in prices of antimony metal in October, Chinese antimony trioxide prices reached Rmb39,500-40,500/tonne ($5,800-5,947/tonne) in the third week of October, before falling back to Rmb39,000-40,000/tonne ($5,726-5,873/tonne) in the last week of the month.

BISMUTH

The bismuth market has been very quiet and business lacklustre this month with little demand in Europe and prices dropping due to poor downstream demand.

Early in the month China was closed for their National Day holidays taking the main supplier out of the market. However, since reopening export prices have reluctantly been reduced through the month by Chinese suppliers to $8/lb FOB from $8.50/lb FOB without seemingly attracting any business. The Chinese market similarly lacks domestic demand.

Some major Chinese producers have been holding prices for the 4N ingot at Rmb120,000/tonne ($7.99/lb). However, market sources reported that some suppliers have been accepting prices in the range of Rmb113,000-115,000/tonne ($7.52-7.66/lb). Most Chinese suppliers reported having made few real transactions in the past month no matter which level the price is.

US market sources, likewise, reported a lack of good buying with enquiries only for small quantities for prompt. Prices have drifted down to around $8.50/lb and going lower having been at $9/lb and over at the beginning of the month. Consumer buying is cautious as prices are seen to drop further.

Demand from the pharmaceutical industry is down and bismuth oxide is suffering from the weak automobile sector where it is used for tinted glass.

CADMIUM

There has been more activity in the cadmium market than for some other minors, although metal remains tight with producers well sold.

The Chinese buyers are still in the market for material but looking for lower prices. One trader reckoned that the market would become weaker and prices for cadmium in China have already started weakening due to poor downstream demand particularly from the Ni-Cd battery industry.

Prices have overall moved up through the month but have varied somewhat business by business rather than having a specific range for a quality. Prices for 3N5 material are broadly in the range $1.76-1.90/lb and $1.90-1.95/lb for 4N material though recent business to China for 4N material has been concluded at under $1.70/lb.

COBALT

Cobalt was quiet through the first half of October, with prices for 99.3% Co Russian ingot slumping to around $14-15/lb and high grade metal not doing much better in the first weeks of the month.

It was not until the second half of the month that business picked up in the market, with traders becoming more bullish as stocks were seen running low, and pent up consumer demand flushed out as prices turned around. Once this happened, cobalt rallied very quickly, with demand for material such as Russian K1AY and Jinchuan also buoyed by anticipations of these grades being listed on the London Metal Exchange and starting to trade against the futures contract launching in February 2010.

With Vale Inco's Sundury operaions on strike, buying interest was seen again at the end of October for similar quality Falconbridge material, but supply was said to be tight and in strong hands. As October ended, Russian grade metal was trading upward of $18.50/lb, with some business as high as $20.50/lb reported in the US, and 99.8% grade metal was trading between $19.50 and $21.50/lb, with offers emerging around $22/lb and expected to rise in the days to come.

Chinese buyers, largely absent from the market since September, when the largest producer Jinchuan Group suggested that China had enough stocks of metal to last it for months, returned towards the end of October.

The rise in prices of concentrates in China and uncertainty about supplies from DR Congo and Zambia prompted renewed buying interest in refined metal, particularly Jinchuan, in the oversees market, as the Chinese market remained at a premium to prices overseas. In the first half of October the domestic Chinese cobalt market was relatively quiet, but a slight increase in prices took place in the second half of the month.

Domestic suppliers raised prices for 99.8% cobalt metal to Rmb355-360/kg ($23.63-23.96/lb). However, sources reported that some producers were still willing to sell the metal at about Rmb330/kg ($21.97/lb) at the end of October.

Some suppliers raised their prices for cobalt chloride (24% cobalt content) to about Rmb71,000/tonne ($10,419/tonne) from about Rmb68,000/tonne ($9,979/tonne)on return from the National Day holiday.

Prices for cobalt sulphate grading 20% min cobalt content have also moved up to Rmb61,000-62,000/tonne ($8,952-9,099/tonne) from the previous Rmb57,000-58,000/tonne ($8,365-8,512/tonne) basis.

GERMANIUM

The germanium market in China saw little improvement over the past month, with business sporadic but prices holding steady. Prices for 4N germanium metal have been holding at Rmb6,100-6,300/kg ($857-885/kg) and 5N germanium dioxide prices remain steady at Rmb3,400-3,700/kg ($524-570/kg).

INDIUM

There was an unexpected turn in indium prices in October as lower offers at around $450/kg were reported in the market about 10 days ago. Prices had risen to around $500/kg at the beginning of the month and since then had taken a break and consolidated.

One source described the lower offers as a ‘blip’ in the market with material possibly being offered cheaply by smugglers and small refiners keen to sell metal in the otherwise rather quiet market and take their profits.

Solid buying from the ITO producers has not yet come into the market but there are recent reports of enquiries from South Korea and Japan for several tonnes of homogeneous material. As this information feeds through the market, prices may well go up again, a trader commented.

In China, the indium market continued to see slow demand in October. Some suppliers have lowered their prices for 4N indium to either side of Rmb2,900/kg ($447/kg) towards the end of the month, down from offer prices of Rmb3,400-3,500/kg ($524-539/kg) when returning from the National Day holiday. The decrease in indium prices appears to have failed to attract buying interest, and most buyers have been watching the market.

Export prices of about $450/kg have been reported for the minor metal in late October, compared to higher export offer prices of about $550/kg t the start of the month, and no improvement was seen for demand from overseas buyers.

MAGNESIUM

European spot magnesium prices have not moved in several weeks, in line with stable export offer prices from China, the world’s key supplier.

Market sentiment in Europe is cautious about short-term demand. The European primary magnesium metal market in October was at $ 2,650-2,750 a tonne basis delivered in-warehouse Rotterdam, and about $ 100 less basis FOB. Magnesium consumers seem satisfied with their stocks, although uncertainty about spot demand through the current quarter is offering support as availability is relatively tight and production costs will be more expensive in the (northern hemisphere) winter months, dealers said.

With demand in North America still weak, magnesium prices in the US slipped in kid October to $2.15-2.40/lb delivered from a previous range of $ 2.20 to $ 2.50/lb seen at the start of the month. Although there are hopes that a pick up in the automotive industry would feed through to magnesium, the major downturn in the market earlier in the year has left many consumers with overpriced inventory on their hands and they are still working down stocks ahead of the year-end.

In China, magnesium ingot prices declined to Rmb15,200-15,700/tonne ($2,232-2,305/tonne) ex works prior to Chinese National Day holidays in early October and then stayed at this level throughout the month. Export prices have also remained at $2,580-2,680/tonne FOB, without change since late September. However export business was slow, due to weak demand from overseas consumers, and the market is not expected to pick up in the coming month.

MANGANESE

The European manganese flake market slipped again in the last week of October amid quiet demand, tracking a drop in prices in major supplier China a week earlier.

The market will be vulnerable until underlying consumption shows a real recovery. European spot prices ended the month down $50 to $2,550-2,600/tonne basis in-warehouse Rotterdam, with manganese lumps around $ 100 above that level. Recent buying in Europe, as well as China, has simply been part of a restocking phase instead of a substantial pick-up in consumption, according to market players.

However the Chinese manganese market picked up in the last week of October on mildly improved consumer demand and low supply after massive production cutbacks. It was reported in October that about one third of plants in some major producing areas have entirely shut down.

Domestic prices moved up some Rmb 200-300 to around Rmb 13,100/tonne ($1,923 before 20% export tax), although export prices were as yet unchanged at $ 2,480-2,500/tonne FOB amid quiet western demand.

SELENIUM

The selenium market was quiet through the month, with fewer enquiries and softer prices, though prompt supply remained fairly tight.

Prices have drifted down to a range of $25-28/lb from levels of $27-20/lb at the beginning of the month.

The Chinese consumers still had enquiries in the market at the end of October but were looking for substantially lower prices of $22-23/lb which western producers are not prepared to sell at.

Selenium prices in the Chinese domestic market headed down over the course of the month due to lack of interested buyers.

Business for 3N selenium powder moved down to Rmb440-450/kg ($29.29-29.95/lb) towards the end of the month, in comparison with prices of about Rmb500/kg ($33.28/lb) seen in the first half of October. Prices for 98% selenium dioxide have also decreased to about Rmb300/kg ($44.03/kg) from Rmb380-400/kg ($55.77-58.70/kg) basis seen in earlier October. Chinese market sources also reported that overseas suppliers have also lowered their offer prices for the powder to about $25/lb at the end of October from $27-28/lb seen in the previous weeks, and much lower prices of $22-23/lb have also been heard.

SILICON

The European silicon market has consolidated recent gains made recent as the fundamentals of material tightness persist of material availability, which may push prices higher in the near term if renewed demand persists. Free market prices in standard secondary aluminium-grade (98.5% grade) (5-5-3) are at €1,650-1,700/tonne basis FCA (free on truck) basis duty delivered paid, while better grades of low iron content silicon (4-4-1) are at a premium some €50-100/tonne above that, depending on tonnage and delivery.

Prompt supply was tight and there was more interest seen from the aluminium sector in the last days of October.

Towards the end of the month, Chinese silicon prices were rising on an almost daily basis. In the domestic market offers were reported of Rmb 10,500/tonne ($1,540 before 15% export tax) for 5-5-3 grade metal and Rmb 11,000/tonne ($1,613) delivered to ports for 4-4-1 grade, up some Rmb500/tonne from mid-October. Export offers also increased to $ 1,740-1,760/tonne FOB for 5-5-3 grade metal and to $ 1,780-1,820/tonne FOB for 4-4-1 in the last week of October.

TELLURIUM

The Chinese tellurium market generally stabilised in October, with prices for larger purchases holding at Rmb1,100-1,150/kg ($161-169/kg) and Rmb1,150-1,200/kg ($169-176/kg) for relatively small quantities.

Market sources reported that domestic demand appeared to be picking up in the later part of October. Many market players became more bullish towards the end of October in their market forecasts for the coming weeks.

TUNGSTEN

Tungsten concentrates prices in China stayed at Rmb66,000-69,000/tonne ($149-155/mtu) since late September, but in the last week of Octoberthe range narrowed to Rmb66,000-68,000/tonne ($149-153/mtu) in line with weaker downstream markets. APT prices in China have stayed on a downward track eversince market participants came back to spot market from the National Day holidays. Prices of Rmb100,000-103,000/tonne ($165-170/mtu) at the end of October, compared with Rmb102,000-105,000/tonne ($169-174/mtu) seen early this month. Export prices stayed at $187-192/mtu, without evident change in this month. The market for tungsten carbide market fell in October. Chinese domestic prices have declined to Rmb160-165/kg ($23.49-24.22/kg) from Rmb165-170/kg ($24.22-24.96/kg) seen at the start this moth. In line with this, export prices fell to $25.5-26.5/kg from $26.5-27.5/kg mid slow business in October.

BULK FERRO-ALLOYS

Towards the end of October the European bulk ferro-alloys market weakened, as consumers seemed satisfied using their current stocks. The market could be vulnerable to further losses if this trend persists.
Silico-manganese 65/17 grade spot prices are at €880-930/tonne basis delivered, off €50. Other ferro-alloys, such as high carbon ferro-manganese 75% material has also dropped €50 to €870-920/tonne basis delivered works.

Medium carbon alloy has dropped a similar amount to €1,150-1,250/tonne, while low carbon material is also down to €1,350-1,400/tonne.
European ferro-alloys Consumers are increasingly buying on a monthly basis instead of either quarterly or spot purchases.

FERRO-SILICON

After a strong start to the month, European ferro-silicon market was knocked back in the second half of October amid a lull in spot demand. However limited supply and availabililty should stem steeper falls in the near term.

Ferro-silicon prices ended the month down €50 to €950-1,000 tonne basis duty delivered paid, depending on tonnage, grade and delivery. Underlying consumption in the steel sector has seen a moderate increase in recent months, although much of that has replenishing depleted stocks.

European producers say they are sold out of material for the time being, although it seems much of what they had has been contracted on a quarterly basis and consumers seem satisfied with that, dealers said. Prices may ease a bit more in the coming weeks, although the market is tight enough to stave off much cheaper offers. In the United States the spot ferro-silicon market also eased again in the last week of October in line with weak consumer buying interest. Market sentiment is cautious about stocks stored at steel mills and potential consumption in that sector through the rest of the current quarter.

The spot market fell back to 76-79 cents a pound on a delivered basis, although small prompt deliveries fetching 80 cents a pound, although this compares to the low this year of 52 cents/lb in May. Consumers are being cagey about their raw material needs until January, dealers said. Steel mills are reluctant to build their feed stocks and so the market is looking somewhat subdued until year-end.

FERRO-CHROME

The benchmark price for South African charge chrome was settled at 1.03/lb with European customers in October compared with $0.89/lb in the preceding quarter.

This was not the 30 cent/lb increase that South African producers, faced with higher energy costs and strong rand against a weak US dollar, had angled for. However it was much better than the market had come to realistically expect in the face of a weaker than anticipated consumer buying in September which followed a very bullish August.

Spot prices briefly firmed, buoyed by the benchmark price, but activity in the spot market did not follow through, and before long there was talk that suppliers were offering discounts of 10% and then 20% to the benchmark price. With most producers now running close to capacity there were expectations of new production cutbacks before the year is out unless demand drastically improves. A further rise in energy costs faces South African producers, as state power supplier Eskom has requested another tariff hike, and Turkey is also due to hike energy prices in the New Year.

Lack of buying from China, which moved to buying from domestic suppliers, poured a bucket of cold water over the hopes of Indian high carbon ferro-chrome producers to push their prices to $1/lb CIF China. Indian export prices slipped to below $0.80/lb in October. Towards the end of the month Chinese domestic ferro-chrome prices finally stopped falling, and this was expected to help stabilise prices in overseas markets.

In the European market prices for good quality high carbon ferro-chrome settled into a range of $0.85-0.90/lb delivered, and there were sings of further pressure on prices towards the end of the month. In the US, high carbon ferro-chrome prices slipped to $0.86-$0.90/lb delivered in the later part of October from $0.88=0.93/lb earlier in the month.

There was no noticeable change in prices for low carbon grades of ferro-chrome in the western markets in the course of October.

NOBLE ALLOYS

Noble alloys traders already appear to have already given up on a fourth quarter revival in prices, with molybdenum, vanadium and ferro-tungsten all continuing to sink in October. The optimism that preceded European steel plants return to work at the end of August has well and truly faded away, while much of the talk has now turned to the New Year and the hope that orders from end-consumers and prices will start to pick up then.

Only ferro-niobium bucked the trend in October, waking from its slumber, as traders reported increasingly tight supplies. Prices moved up to $41-42/kg, as the month ended.

FERRO-MOLYBDENUM

It came as a surprise when the European ferro-molybdenum market suddenly started to show signs of an improvement in the very last days of October, which is set to continue into November. At the beginning of October, molybdenum traders refused to blame the Chinese National Day celebrations for slow business insisting that although Chinese buyers and sellers bring liquidity it had been quiet for the previous six weeks anyway. Molybdenum trioxide came into October at $ 13.25 - 13.75/lb but having reached a year to date high of $17.75-18.50 in August fell away to close the month at $XXX/lb. Duty-paid ferro-molybdenum traders reported signs of stability at the end of October after prices slid more than 40%, losing $18/kg since mid-August. The marked dipped to as low as $24.50-25/kg in late October, having started the month at $ 32.25 - 32.75/lb and was looking oversold, so in the last days there began some small buying activity and an uptick in prices, which closed the month in the range of $25-26/kg.

In the US spot ferro-molybdenum continued to decline in October, adding momentum to a slide that began in late August. Prices began the month in a range of $16.50-17.25/lb on a delivered basis, and fell to a range of $13.50-14/lb by the end of the month. As in Europe, the pace of the decline slowed noticeably, however, late in the second half of October.

FERRO-VANADIUM

Duty-paid ferro-vanadium prices in Europe followed a similar path to ferro-molybdenum in October, slipping from $27.50-28.70/kg to $23-24/kg, the weakest level since mid-June, when the market was recovering from a post credit crisis low of $ 17.75-18.25/kg two months earlier.

Though a little business was reported during the month, vanadium pentoxide ended the month as it started at $6.70-7.40/lb.

In the US, spot ferro-vanadium prices started October in a range of $12-13/lb delivered, but fell during the first week to a range of $11.75-12.50/lb, and remained unchanged for the remainder of the month in the face of slack demand.

FERRO-TUNGSTEN

Ferro-tungsten prices, which though not declining to anywhere near the same extent as molybdenum and vanadium have had an up and down year. With demand and trading quiet, prices slipped back again to $25-25.50/kg at the end of October. For a brief moment, in the third-quarter APT buyers briefly re-assessed their stocks leading them to place orders, but this was not widespread and prices have stayed in a range of $190-200/mtu, with European prices holding up better than in China, where demand has been slack.

FERRO-TITANIUM

Ferro-titanium prices through much of October remained under pressure, with material around $3.60-3.90/kg in warehouse.

However the market was supported by dearth and high prices of scrap and as the lower prices Russian material began to disappear from the market, the price range for the ferro-alloy began to move up.

At the end of the month, Russian material for fero-titanium 70% was reported trading about $3.90/lb in warehouse, with UK producers selling at about $3.95-4/kg ex works. A sizeable consumer tender in Europe, which would normally have been concluded at relatively low prices, remained unfilled as October rolled on, trade stocks tightened and prices rose.

There was an only temporary let up in scrap prices, meanwhile, which began to rise again in line with ferro-titanium, and while UK producers reported having been able to obtain some titanium alloy turnings below $0.80/lb in mid-October, it became difficult to get material at less than about $0.85/lb towards the end of the month.

Considerably higher prices for scrap were reported in the US, with prices for Ti-6-4 turnings reported upward of $0.90/lb, and scrap solids upwards of $1/lb in late October.

RARE EARTHS

Many rare earths prices have seen sharp increases in the second half of October, supported by the significant increase in praseodymium/neodymium prices.

Many producers are reluctant to quote, anticipating much higher prices in the days to come. However, the markets for some rare earth oxides, such as yttrium and europium oxides have seen little sign of improvement.

PRASEODYMIUM / NEODYMIUM

Many Chinese producers raised prices for 99% praseodymium/neodymium metal to Rmb112,000-113,000/tonne ($20,545-20,729/tonne) on return from the National Day holiday. Market prices remained fairly steady in the following week.

Later in the month a major Chinese producer rised its offer prices for 99% praseodymium/neodymium oxide to as high as Rmb105,000/tonne ($17,720/tonne) , and this pushed up prices for the rare earth metal higher still, to Rmb140,000/tonne ($25,682/tonne) in late October. By the end of the month many suppliers were offering Rmb148,000/tonne ($27,149/tonne) for the metal, and few were willing to sell below Rmb140,000/tonne. However, the soaring prices appeared to have scared off consumers.

NEODYMIUM

On the back of the sharp rise in praseodymium/neodymium prices, prices for neodymium oxide and metal have also jumped up in the second half of October.

Many suppliers have increased their offer prices for 99% neodymium metal to Rmb155,000-160,000/tonne ($26,159-27,002/tonne) in the later part of the month, and quotations of about Rmb165,000/tonne ($27,846/tonne) were also visible. However, some suppliers admitted that few sales have been concluded as prices soared.

Prices for 99% neodymium oxide also surged to Rmb115,000/tonne ($19,408/tonne) towards the end of October from about Rmb90,000/tonne seen in early October.

GADOLINUM

The sharp rise in praseodymium/neodymium prices has also supported prices for gadolinium oxide during the past month. Suppliers raised prices for 99% gadolinium oxide to Rmb30,000/tonne ($5,063/tonne) and many claimed that they would not accept less than Rmb28,000/tonne ($4,725/tonne).

DYSPROSIUM

Dysprosium oxide prices have been edging up in October, ending the month in a range of Rmb590-600/kg ($108-110/kg) for the 99% rare earth oxide, in comparison with Rmb570-580/kg ($105-106/kg) seen in the first half of the month. Prices for ferro-dysprosium (Dy 80%) have also moved up to about Rmb630/kg ($111/kg) from around Rmb610/kg ($107/kg).

LANTHANUM

Demand for lanthanum oxide demand appears to have picked up in October. Many suppliers in northern China raised their offer prices for the 99% rare earth oxide to about Rmb28,000/tonne ($4,725/tonne) in late October and little material was available at less than Rmb26,000/tonne ($4,388/tonne). In the meantime, producers in southern China also raised their prices for the oxide to Rmb25,000-27,000/tonne ($4,219-4,557/tonne).

RARE EARTH CARBONATE

The strong praseodymium/neodymium market prompted increased demand for the raw material, rare earth carbonate, leading to a squeeze on domestic supply and a surge in prices.

Many consumers reported that it has been difficult to get the carbonate even at Rmb10,500/tonne ($1,772/tonne) and some suppliers were accepting prices of Rmb10,800/tonne ($1,823/tonne) at the end of the month.

Grüsse JoJo