[ferro-alloys.com] Quantity of purchase or tender of vanadium alloys by steel mills in April have increased, although the price of tender or purchase is not high that ferro-vanadium and vanadium-nitrogen alloy prices response to dip slightly, prices of raw material of vanadium pentoxide are still firm, three major plants have risen their offers of vanadium pentoxide flake to 190,000 RMB/MT, calculating on the basis of this price, production cost of ferro-vanadium 50% is about 197,200 RMB/MT and production cost of vanadium-nitrogen alloy is about 286,800 RMB/MT. Upside-down condition of offer and production cost of part vanadium alloys enterprise have emerged. Vanadium alloys plants are even in a dilemma.

Because vanadium pentoxide at home and abroad is scarcer, and its demand is more than other vanadium products, prices of small and middle-sized plants are firmer, concluded price of vanadium pentoxide flake 98% in China has reached to 200,000 RMB/MT, and its export price can be integrate with the international price and reach to 210,000 RMB/MT. Buoyed by the firm price of vanadium pentoxide flake, as the raw material likewise, ammonium metavanadate and vanadium pentoxide powder are quoted relatively firm and their offers do not have much fluctuation. There even are enterprises that run well to heighten offers of ammonium metavanadate slightly.

Steel mills are also purchasing and bidding for ferro-columbium, part steel mills are purchasing the ferro-columbium to replace part vanadium alloys. Currently, price of ferro-columbium is on the rise trend, but it still has an obvious price advantage. Currently, vanadium market vibrates at the high position and differentiation phenomenon amid vanadium products have appeared. People’ emotion in the industry is more cautious.

• [Editor:Wang Linyan]