China April APT Output And Forecast For May

SHANGHAI, May 10 (SMM) - According to SMM data, the output of ammonium paratungstate (APT) in China was about 11,200 mt in April, a decrease of 490 mt or 4.2% from the previous month.

Downstream demand was slack in the first half of April, but improved in the second half of the month, encouraging APT smelters to ramp up their production. Smelters delivered their long-term orders on time.

Tungsten ore supply will tighten slightly in May due to the rainy season and environmental protection checks, making it more difficult for smelters to bring down purchase prices and threatening to incur losses on smelters. Demand has shown no signs of recovery. Therefore, SMM predicts that the domestic APT output will continue to decrease slightly in May.