[Ferro-Alloys.com]The ferronickel and electrolytic nickel prices have been increasing since Q2, 2014 thanks to the unrefined ore ban in Indonesia. China’s ferronickel producers lowered their operation rate due to the increasing price for nickel ore and the declining stock, especially in Inner Mongolia, Shandong Province and Shanxi Province. The nickel ore prices decreased in August and September, but the prices for sheet nickel and ferronickel still kept falling, which caused low operation rate for the manufacturers in Northern China. The producers who had shut their plants refused to resume their production.

 

The spot and futures prices for nickel ore have been dipping since the beginning of Q3. The spot prices for high-grade nickel ore declined by ￥160/wet mt, the futures prices down by $11/wet mt, and the futures prices for low-grade nickel ore down by $33/wet mt in the Q3. Up to the end of September, the futures price high-grade nickel ore (Ni 1.8%) was $105/wet mt CIF Lianyungang Port, and the spot price was ￥700-710/wet mt; the futures price for nickel ore（Ni0.9-1.1%，Fe49%）was $30/wet mt, and the spot price was ￥280-290/wet mt.

 

The total volume of China’s imported nickel ore is 33,590,000 mt in the first eight months this year, down by 21%, among which 22,620,000 mt is from Philippines, up 27% compared to the same period last year, most of which is medium- and low-grade nickel ore. The large supply of nickel ore puts pressure to its price due to the weak ferronickel market.

 

The total volume of China’s imported nickel ore is 33,590,000 mt in the first eight months this year, down by 21%, among which 22,620,000 mt is from Philippines, up 27% compared to the same period last year, most of which is medium- and low-grade nickel ore. The large supply of nickel ore puts pressure to its price due to the weak ferronickel market.

 

Entering September, the domestic operation rate of ferronickel (10-15%) failed to remain at a high level due to the poor market for stainless steel and sufficient supply of nickel ore, meanwhile, the dramatic fall for the LME nickel and sheet nickel put more pressure on the ferronickel. Most of the producers posed a pessimistic attitude to the ferronickel market and were willing to sell. 

 

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