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
Stay ahead of the non-ferrous metal markets
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Weather disrupts Australian copper, coal logistics
Weather disrupts Australian copper, coal logistics
Sydney, 15 January (Argus) — Australian coal and copper producers have continued to face weather-related challenges in Queensland, including transport closures in the mineral-rich state. Road and rail disruptions have limited global producer Glencore's ability to supply copper concentrate to its smelter for multiple days. These disruptions are ongoing, a spokesperson told Argus today. Parts of the Mount Isa rail line — which supports Glencore and other metal and fertilizer producers — remain closed because of weeks of rainfall, Australian rail operator Queensland Rail said on 14 January. The operator is meeting regularly with freight operators to support load management, it added. Queensland Rail is unable to confirm a timeline for the resumption of operations at the Mount Isa line, Queensland Rail's head of regional Scott Cornish said. Glencore is also facing disruptions at its Hails Creek and Collinsville mixed thermal and coking coal mines, and its Clermont thermal coal mine. Australian producer Pembroke Resources is also facing weather-related disruptions. The firm declared force majeure on some coal shipments on 15 January because recent weather events have stopped it from mining, according to market sources. Australian coal producers M Resources and Stanmore and Swiss-based AMCI also declared force majeure on Queensland shipments earlier this week because of supply chain disruptions. Some Queensland coal operators have been less impacted by the wet weather. The BHP Mitsubishi Alliance's mines in the state are operating and it has wet weather plans in place, a BHP spokesperson told Argus on 15 January. The Central Queensland Coal Network — which links coal mines in the state to export ports — is also open and operational with some minor isolated restrictions in place, Australian rail operator Aurizon told Argus . Argus ' metallurgical coal premium hard low-volatile fob Australia price has increased over the past week because of the weather events in Queensland. It was last assessed at $232.95/t on 14 January, up from $218.75/t on 7 January. By Avinash Govind Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Record high prices pressure Chinese aluminium demand
Record high prices pressure Chinese aluminium demand
Shanghai, 13 January (Argus) — Chinese aluminium prices hit a record high of 25,075 yuan/t ($3,592/t) today, driven by tight supply and buoyant market sentiment on the back of the geopolitical environment and strong copper prices, despite a slowdown in domestic demand. The rising prices have significantly dampened buying interest among Chinese fabricators, while social inventories continue to increase. The most-traded March aluminium contract on the Shanghai Futures Exchange (SHFE) reached 25,075 yuan/t ($3,594/t) and closed at Yn24,375/t today, up by 6.3pc from 31 December 2025. Global aluminium supply growth has slowed because Chinese output is approaching its annual capacity cap of 45mn t, and European production has declined due to challenges in securing affordable power contracts. On the demand side, market participants expect sectors such as new energy vehicles, photovoltaics, and artificial intelligence (AI) to continue supporting long-term aluminium consumption. These factors have helped sustain aluminium prices at high levels throughout 2025. Recent surges in copper prices have also encouraged financial investors to enter aluminium contracts in anticipation of substitution effects, providing further support to the aluminium market. London Metal Exchange (LME) copper prices exceeded $13,000/t to hit a fresh record on 6 January, because investors sought safe-haven assets on the back of US military action in Venezuela. Aluminium can replace copper in certain applications, such as air-conditioner manufacturing. When the copper-aluminium price ratio exceeds 3.5–4 — the ratio is currently 4.2 — substituting aluminium for copper offers significant economic advantages, according to market participants. Slowing Chinese demand The Chinese aluminium industry has been in a seasonal lull since November 2025, with fabricators maintaining limited purchasing activity. The recent price surge has further exacerbated this trend. Many fabricators, particularly in the construction sector, are delaying raw material purchases due to high costs, a trader told Argus . Some producers of aluminium alloy doors and windows have raised finished product prices, while others are considering an earlier start to the lunar new year holiday on 16-23 February, another trader added. Social inventories of aluminium ingots in China rose to 714,000t on 8 January, up from 645,000t on 30 December 2025 and 596,000t on 27 November 2025, reflecting ample supply and weak spot demand. Traders expect stocks to continue growing in January and February, given elevated prices and muted buying interest during the seasonal low period. More companies are accelerating a shift toward magnesium in response to rising aluminium costs. Magnesium is used in battery casings, brackets, wheel hubs, and car seat frames. Magnesium's density is only two-thirds that of aluminium, offering significant weight reduction advantages for automotive applications. Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Floods disrupt Australian Cu, fertiliser exports
Floods disrupt Australian Cu, fertiliser exports
Sydney, 12 January (Argus) — Severe flooding in Queensland has crippled key transport routes, halting copper, zinc, and fertiliser exports from one of Australia's major mining hubs. Australia's Mount Isa rail line — which supports the transport of fertiliser, copper, and zinc — remains closed due to weather-related damaged following multiple floods in late December and January. Water levels along the line are slowly receding, and major recovery works are underway, Queensland Rail told Argus on 12 January. The operator first closed parts of the Mount Isa line on 29 December because of heavy rainfall. Weather-related road and rail disruptions have impacted global producer Glencore's ability to move copper concentrate to its Mount Isa smelter by road and rail, a spokesperson told Argus . The Mount Isa line has faced disruptions before. Three locomotives and a wagon carrying copper and zinc from Glencore's Mount Isa operations derailed on 5 December 2025, triggering a three-day shutdown. Queensland Rail also closed the line for 11 days in February 2025 due to severe flood-related damage following weeks of heavy rain. By Avinash Govind Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Nickel prices hit 15-month high on robust sentiment
Nickel prices hit 15-month high on robust sentiment
Beijing, 7 January (Argus) — Nickel prices on trading exchange platforms hit new highs on 6 January, bolstered by robust sentiment on the back of macroeconomic developments and potential changes to Indonesia's mining plans. The London Metal Exchange (LME) nickel prices hit $18,045/t on 6 January, up by 7pc from a day earlier and exceeding $18,000/t for the first time in 15 months. Prices started to climb from $14,430/t on 17 December 2025, surging by 20pc on 6 January in just 12 trading days. Shanghai Futures Exchange (SHFE) nickel prices hit their 8pc daily limit on 6 January as well. Nickel prices have been driven by rising copper prices. Copper prices surged above $13,000/t to hit a new high because financial investors were concerned over tight global availability of copper refined metal stemming from the US' capture of Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro . The metals sector could continue on an uptrend if geopolitical tensions escalate further, driven by risk-averse sentiment. End-user demand is not the major driver for the nickel price surge, but the increase in nickel prices have boosted prices of nickel downstream products. Argus -assessed prices for stainless steel 304 2.0mm cold-rolled coil rose to 13,400-13,500 yuan/t ($1,914-1,929/t) on 7 January from Yn12,800-12,900/t ($1,829-1,843/t) on 18 December 2025. Demand strengthened slightly because end-users were concerned about further increases in stainless steel prices. A major Chinese stainless steel mill raised its ex-works prices by Yn100/t on 23 December 2025 and by Yn300/t on 5 January, reflecting a rise in production costs due to higher nickel prices. Most market participants expect the nickel price outlook in 2026 to be steady from 2025 because they do not anticipate significant changes in supply and demand fundamentals. The average nickel price was $15,349/t in 2025, down from $17,049/t in 2024 because of an increase in market supply, according to Argus data. But price upsides are possible this year, since major producer Indonesia may introduce policies that could reduce supply or increase production costs. Indonesia could also cut its nickel ore work plan and budget (RKAB) to 250mn t in 2026 from around 379mn t in 2025, market participants said. This potential cut comes despite expectations that Indonesian nickel ore consumption will increase to around 330mn wet metric tonnes (wmt) in 2026, up by 11pc from 2025, Argus' estimates show. Indonesia's trade ministry on 17 December also issued a ministerial regulation on procedures for setting the export benchmark price (HPE) and reference price (HR) for mining and metallic products. This has renewed market discussions that Indonesia may again explore the possibility of such tariffs, putting upward pressure on nickel prices. Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
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