Tellurium Market Update (October 10, 2012)

After months of falling refined tellurium prices, both Chinese and European prices have begun to show signs of resurgence.​

Traders in China have seen a renewed interest in the metal, and end-user demand has been on the rise since the beginning of September.

Shanghai traders saw prices for 99.99 percent EXW metal range-bound between 1,000 and 1,050 RMB/kg, up from September’s average of 887.50 to 937.50 RMB/kg.

Prices for 99.99 percent IWH Rotterdam tellurium also traded higher to start the month, in a range of US$115 to 155/kg, up from its summer lows, but still down from the beginning of the year when it traded between US$220 and 300/kg.

While tellurium suppliers are happy to see any price rise after prices fell by more than half since last September, Metal Pages reported that investment activity, rather than end-user demand, is central to the recent price rise.

“Investors are buying material and planning to raise prices, but actual demand from end users has not improved much,” a market participant told Metal Pages.