Specialty and minor metals
Overview
As demand for semi-conductors, touch-screens and other highly engineered products continues to grow, manufactures rely on the Argus metals price data and reliable market intelligence to track volatility and specialty materials and manage their impact on production costs.
Argus covers electronic, light and high-temperature metals, as well as specialist alloys and rare earths, through Argus Non-Ferrous Markets, Argus Battery Materials and the Argus Rare Earths Analytics service.
Electronic metals
Argus delivers transparent price data, market news and analysis across base metals, minor metals and battery materials to allow downstream participants to achieve a sustainable supply of electronic metals and reduce their exposure to price risk, all while researching and tracking individual materials in their components.
- Arsenic prices
- Bismuth prices
- Gallium prices
- Germanium prices
- Indium prices
- Selenium prices
- Tantalum prices
- Tellurium prices
- Zirconium prices
Light metals
Argus is the leader in light metals price data and serves the most active consuming regions globally in aerospace, automotive and other highly engineered industries. Manufacturers of alloyed materials and light metals benefit from both primary and scrap material coverage in the Argus suite of products.
High-temperature metals
Some materials necessitate higher temperature and corrosion resistance beyond that offered by carbon steel, these often rely on a proprietary blend of alloyed materials. Argus worked closely with manufacturers to develop the Alloy Calculator tool, a one-stop solution for estimating the current value of raw materials in their specific composition to price even the most specific blends of alloys to be priced in primary and scrap form.
- Chromium prices
- Cobalt prices
- Hafnium prices
- Molybdenum prices
- Niobium prices
- Rhenium prices
- Tantalum prices
- Tungsten prices
- Tungsten outlooks
- Vanadium prices
Highlights of specialty metals coverage
- Independent reference prices for highly illiquid markets and niche materials
- Brings transparency to markets with few global suppliers but increasing global demand
- Exchange data with 30-minute delay standard and the option to add real-time
- Twice weekly global bulk alloys, noble alloys and steel feedstock prices
- Comprehensive global electronic metals price assessments
- High-temperature metals price assessments, including full scope of tungsten coverage with optional short and long-term forecasting
- Light metals including a suite of titanium and aerospace-grade price assessments
- Rare earths prices assessments with short and long-term forecasts
- Electronic vehicle and aerospace raw materials coverage, including highly engineered components and structural materials
- Coverage of supply chain issues, including demand, capacity, risks to responsible sourcing and supply
- Alloy Calculator tool allows easy identification of cost implications for material substitutions in any alloyed metals
- Synthetic prices can be created in the Alloy Calculator to provide material value in the absence of spot market assessments
Latest specialty and minor metals news
Browse the latest market moving news on the specialty and minor metals industry.
Global battery installation growth slows in 1Q: SNE
Global battery installation growth slows in 1Q: SNE
Singapore, 7 May (Argus) — The growth of global electric vehicle (EV) battery installations during January-March this year has slowed with stuttering global EV demand, data from South Korean market intelligence firm SNE Research show. Global EV battery installations during the first quarter rose by around 22pc from a year earlier to 158.8GWh compared with 36pc growth for the same period last year. Most top battery manufacturers have experienced lower growth rate ( see table ), with Japan's Panasonic and South Korea's SK On installing fewer batteries compared with a year earlier. China's Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL) and BYD continue to spearhead the growth, albeit also at a slower pace. Consumers' preference for battery EVs globally waned as plug-in hybrid EV and hybrid EVs growth gained momentum because of factors including continued high interest rates and a shortage of charging infrastructure, according to SNE. Samsung SDI earlier this year pinned its hopes on a gradual EV battery market recovery in this year's second half when it expected benefits from lower interest rates starting to be realised. Lower interest rates could spur consumers spending and business investment. But US Federal Reserve policymakers earlier this month signalled that they are likely to hold rates higher for longer until they are confident inflation is slowing "sustainably" towards the 2pc target. The higher interest rates and lower residual values of EVs given price cuts on new vehicles could push up EVs' monthly leasing terms, which are often financed, according to Dutch investment bank ING's senior economist Rico Luman and senior high yield credit strategist Oleksiy Soroka. The scaling back of subsidies in Germany will also weigh on EV uptakes, they said. The IEA has forecast that EV sales will continue to grow in most major markets this year but at a slower rate compared with 2023. Global EV sales this year are forecast to top 17mn, more than 20pc of total global vehicle sales. By Joseph Ho Global EV battery installations (GWh) Jan-Mar '24 Jan-Mar '23 1Q '24 y-o-y % ± 1Q '23 y-o-y % ± CATL 60.1 45.6 31.9% 32.9% BYD 22.7 20.3 11.9% 103% LGES 21.7 20.1 7.8% 43.6% Panasonic 9.3 10.6 -12.6% 21.8% Samsung SDI 8.4 6.2 36.3% 44.2% SK On 7.3 7.9 -8.2% 17.9% CALB 6.3 5.2 22.2% 26.8% EVE 3.6 2.3 54.7% 64.3% Guoxuan 3.4 2.7 22.1% 3.8% SVOLT 2.7 0.9 217.7% NA Others 13.4 8.4 59.2% NA Total 158.8 130.2 22% 35.8% Source: SNE Research 1. Calculated 1Q '23 growth rate using SNE Research adjusted figures 2. Used SNE Research 1Q '24 growth rate figures 3. Omitted 1Q '23 growth rate figure for "others" given SVOLT's likely in the list (making it an inaccurate comparison) Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Japan’s Daihatsu fully reopens domestic auto operations
Japan’s Daihatsu fully reopens domestic auto operations
Tokyo, 7 May (Argus) — Japanese car manufacturer Daihatsu resumed operations at Kyushu and Osaka on 6 May and 7 May respectively, marking the full reopening of its domestic plants. Daihatsu produces around 400,000 units/yr and 6,000 units/yr at Kyushu in south Japan and Osaka in west Japan respectively, according to a company representative that spoke to Argus. Combined production at these two plants accounts for around half of its total domestic output. It suspended all its operations in December 2023 after it was accused of tampering with safety test results. Daihatsu partially resumed operations in February and March but the Kyushu and Osaka plants remained closed. The company's March output fell by 65.8pc from a year earlier to 30,453 units , although it recovered from 6,692 units and none in February and January respectively. The country's overall industrial production index increased by 3.8pc from the previous month, according to the ministry of trade and industry last week, mostly driven by a production recovery of passenger vehicles. By Yusuke Maekawa Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Brazil unlocks relief spending to flooded state
Brazil unlocks relief spending to flooded state
Sao Paulo, 6 May (Argus) — Brazil's president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva signed a decree to ease relief spending to Rio Grande do Sul state, which has been hit with historically heavy rainfall and floods. "We are going to do everything in our power to contribute to Rio Grande do Sul's recovery," he said today after signing the decree, adding that was only the first of "a large number of acts" for the state. The decree recognizes the state of emergency in Rio Grande do Sul and allows the federal government to grant funding and tax waivers to the state without having to comply with spending limits. In addition, it makes rules for public authorities to contract services and purchase products more flexible. The decree still needs both senate and congressional approval — which should be hasty, as both the senate and house leaders were present at the decree's signing. It is still not clear how much money it will take to rebuild the state, chief of staff Rui Costa and planning minister Simone Tebet said. But the minister of regional integration Waldez Goez estimated that it will take around R1bn ($200mn) to rebuild the state's highways. Rio Grande do Sul has been hit with heavy rainfall since 29 April. The highest volumes reached the central areas of Rio Grande do Sul, with cities receiving rainfall of 150-500mm (6-20 inches), regional rural agency Emater-RS data show. The monitoring station of Restinga Seca city, in the center of the state, recorded rainfall of about 540mm. Rainfall in Rio Grande do Sul overall surpassed 135mm in most of the state, according to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). State capital Porto Alegre is expected to receive more rain later this week, according to Rio Grande do Sul-based weather forecaster MetSul. MetSul warned that parts of the Porto Alegre metropolitan area could remain uninhabitable for weeks or months. The floods have left at least 83 dead and 111 missing, according to the state government. An additional 130,000 people have been displaced from their homes. By Lucas Parolin Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Floods halt firms' operations in Brazil's south
Floods halt firms' operations in Brazil's south
Sao Paulo, 6 May (Argus) — Several Brazilian companies have suspended operations in the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul because of heavy rainfall that has caused severe floods and infrastructure damage. Flooding from the record rains has left at least 83 dead with 111 people missing, according to the state government. More than 23,000 people have been forced from of their homes amid widespread damage, including washed out bridges and roads across several cities. The dam of the 100MW 14 de Julho hydroelectric plant, on the Antas River, ruptured last week under the heavy rains . Power generation company Companhia Energetica Rio das Antas, which runs the plant, implemented an emergency evacuation plan on 1 May. Brazilian steelmaker Gerdau that it suspended its operations in two mills at the state until it can ensure "people's protection and safety." The company did not disclose the produced volume of steel at those two mills. Logistics company Rumo partially interrupted operations and said that "damages to assets are still being properly measured". Petrochemical giant Braskem shut down its facilities at the Triunfo petrochemical complex as a preventive measure because of "extreme weather events" in the state, it said on 3 May. The company added there was no expected date to resume activities there. Braskem operates eight industrial units in Rio Grande do Sul that make 5mn metric tonnes/yr of basic petrochemicals, polyethylene and polypropylene, according to its website. By Carolina Pulice Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
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