[SMM Weekly Review on Spot Bismuth: Bismuth Prices Continued to Rise] SMM, February 14: After experiencing an upward trend for some time, bismuth market prices became even stronger following the start of the new year.
: This week, after a previous upward trend, the bismuth market prices have shown even stronger momentum since the start of the new year. The off-season impact has not weakened bismuth prices. Many manufacturers are currently raising their bismuth selling prices continuously. From the transaction situation, the steady upward trend in bismuth transaction prices remains robust. Notably, recent tender transaction prices for bismuth ingots and bismuth concentrate have risen significantly. According to unofficial sources, on February 4, the Ministry of Commerce and the General Administration of Customs issued an announcement to impose export controls on items related to tungsten, tellurium, bismuth, molybdenum, and indium. The overseas market is expected to worry about future supply tightness of bismuth, which is likely to drive overseas prices higher. Recent reports indicate that bismuth ingot prices in the European market have indeed surged, with informed sources stating that current European bismuth ingot transaction prices are around $7.5/lb, with quotes reaching as high as $8/lb. The rise in overseas prices has also provided strong confidence support to the domestic bismuth spot market. This week, as bismuth prices strengthened overall, buying interest from downstream buyers and even speculators has gradually increased. By the end of this week, SMM's mainstream prices for bismuth ingots were 87,000-88,000 yuan/mt.
According to official information obtained by SMM, Yuguang Gold and Lead Group conducted an open tender sale of 300 mt of bismuth ingots this week. Detailed tender information has not been officially disclosed, but unverified sources suggest that the final transaction price for the 300 mt of bismuth ingots in this tender was around 89,000 yuan/mt. Against the backdrop of a recent tender for bismuth concentrate in Hunan, which was sold at a high price, market confidence in bismuth prices has grown stronger. Therefore, the successful transaction of Yuguang's 300 mt bismuth ingot tender has once again sparked market attention and sentiment.