International rare metal market prices show a sign hitting bottom. The demand maintains weak for end products such as personal computers and liquid crystal panel TVs while rare metal prices are partially rebounding when base metal market prices are surging and Chinese supply is regulated.
As for antimony mainly used for fire retardant agent, supply and demand balance hasn’t changed while Chinese suppliers seem to strengthen selling stances after Chinese New Year holidays. Cobalt market price continued increasing along base metal prices’ upsurge. Selenium market price maintains flat though Japanese smelting plant suspended shipment due to fire accident in December. The impact was very limited due to low demand. Bismuth market price is stable along base metal prices’ increase, which is used for free-cutting steel and pigment. Ammonium paratungstate market price is stable when Chinese supply seems regulated. Tungsten is the main material for cemented carbide tools. Gallium market price shows a sign to hit bottom. The shipment maintains stagnant for compound semiconductors while the demand is sustained by CIGS (copper-indium-gallium-selenium) solar cells. Meanwhile, indium market price maintains weak since the demand is declining for liquid crystal panels. Rare earths including cerium oxide and metallic neodymium also shows weak price trend.
