Tantalum Ore Prices to Continue to Weaken in 2016

A new study entitled Tantalum: World Market Outlook: 2015-2020 looks at factors affecting tantalum prices. The report covers the global market for tantalum materials, including tantalum ores and concentrates and other tantalum products.
As quoted in the press release, Dennis Zogbi, CEO of Paumanok Publications and author of the report, stated:

Tantalum has always been a challenging market environment, and the price of ore has responded to this volatility. Back in the Mid-1990s, tantalum ore prices reacted to forecasts from the wireless handset business which projected huge demand for molded and coated tantalum chips for consumption in cellular phones; then it was the ore shortages in 2000 and the ‘take or pay’ contracts of 2001 and 2002 that kept prices high.  Throughout the 2000’s tantalum ore was in excess supply and an oversupply situation existed for an extended period of time that kept tantalum ore pricing low.  During the global economic crisis of 2009 demand declined as did pricing; but then in 2010 through 2014, ore prices increased in responses to the metals conflict mineral status and the idling of key tantalum ore mines.  In 2015 tantalum ore pricing has been declining because of lack of demand coming from the capacitor industry, offset slightly by increased demand from metallurgical in key applications.  The 2016 forecast is for tantalum ore prices to continue to weaken.

Click here for the full press release.