Tungsten smelters clip prices, denting market confidence

China’s major tungsten smelters have decided to lower their prices of tungsten and APT for long-term customers for sales over the first half month of April, a decision which has cracked tungsten-market confidence and dragged down spot prices, Mysteel learned Tuesday.

Chongyi Zhangyuan Tungsten Co, a major Shenzhen-listed tungsten smelter in Southeast China’s Jiangxi province, has pared prices of its wolframite and scheelite concentrates (with WO3 contenthigher than 65%) to Yuan 94,500/tonne ($14,076/t) and Yuan 93,000/t respectively, lower by Yuan 2,500/t from its price in late March, Mysteel notes. At the same time the smelter