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.
Port of Nola reopens after winter storm
Port of Nola reopens after winter storm
Houston, 24 January (Argus) — The port of New Orleans reopened today after a prolonged shut-down propelled by a heavy winter storm that swept through the US Gulf earlier this week. Nola and Ports America reopened today to begin working on the backlog of movement caused by the storm. The port had been officially closed since 19 January in anticipation of the wintry temperatures, heavy precipitation and winds. Several inches of snow fell across New Orleans beginning Tuesday morning, according to the National Weather Service, with freezing conditions lasting through Thursday. Both ship and barge loadings and unloadings were significantly delayed across terminals. Several shipping and barge companies announced force majeures before the storm but are expected to reopen within the next couple of days, subject to safety conditions. By Meghan Yoyotte Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
China expands EV charging infrastructure in 2024
China expands EV charging infrastructure in 2024
Beijing, 24 January (Argus) — China significantly expanded its electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure in 2024, data from the country's Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Promotion Alliance (EVCIPA) show. China added 4.222mn EV charging points in 2024, a 25pc increase from a year earlier. This indicates one charging point for every 2.7 EV units on average. The newly added charging points include 830,000 public charging points and 3.368mn private charging points, marking a decline of 8.1pc and a rise of 37pc respectively from the number of charging points added in 2023. Newly added charging points stood at 119,000 in December, up by 31pc on the year. China's total number of charging points was 12.82mn as of the end of December 2024, up by 49pc from a year earlier, EVCIPA data show. China will add 3.62mn of charging points equipped for private vehicles in 2025, with the total number of charging devices rising to 11.582mn, according to EVCIPA. The country will add 73,000 public charging stations and 1.038mn public charging devices in 2025. The country's growing EV charging infrastructure is expected to boost the purchasing of new energy vehicles (NEVs). A lack of charging infrastructure, especially in smaller cities and rural areas, is one of the main reasons restricting NEV adoption. Most charging infrastructure is concentrated in more developed provinces and cities such as Guangdong, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Shanghai and Beijing, accounting for 69pc of the country's total infrastructure in 2024. China's NEV market penetration rose to 40.9pc of the country's total auto sales in 2024, up from 31.6pc in 2023 and 26pc in 2022. Penetration will reach 50pc in 2025, some market participants said. Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Rio Tinto faces Australian iron ore shipment delays
Rio Tinto faces Australian iron ore shipment delays
Sydney, 24 January (Argus) — UK-Australian miner Rio Tinto is facing shipping disruptions in Western Australia (WA) after Cyclone Sean damaged a railcar dumper as it swept down the state's coast, the firm announced today. A dumper at Rio's East Intercourse Island (EII) port facility — a part of the Pilbara Port Authority's (PPA) Port Dampier — was flooded on 20 January, sustaining some damage, when 274mm of rain poured down on WA over a single day. EEI handled 45mn t of Rio Tinto's iron ore shipments in 2024. "Initial indications suggest the dumper at EII could be offline for three to four weeks, as rectifications works are required to repair flood damage," the company said on 24 January. Rio Tinto said its overall 2025 production guidance of between 323mn-338mn t of iron ore remains unchanged, but the disruption may affect first-quarter shipments. WA's coastal areas received the bulk of Cyclone Sean's rainfall earlier this week, limiting disruptions to the state's lucrative iron ore mines. Rio Tinto operates seven railcar dumpers across WA, six of which remain operational. The company will continue to move iron ore out of the state over the next month, using its other dumpers. Cyclone Sean forced the PPA to shutter its facilities at Port Hedland, Dampier, Ashburton, Varanus Island, and Cape Preston West on 18 January. All five of the sites resumed operations on 20 January, after the Bureau of Meteorology advised that Cyclone Sean was moving away from WA's Pilbara region. By Avinash Govind Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Trump tariffs could stall Mexico’s growth: Fitch
Trump tariffs could stall Mexico’s growth: Fitch
Mexico City, 23 January (Argus) — US President Donald Trump's threat to impose tariffs on imports from Mexico could have a serious impact on Mexico's already sluggish economic growth in 2025, Fitch Ratings said. "Our assumption is that Trump will follow through on some tariff threats," said Todd Martinez, senior director of sovereigns at Fitch Ratings, during a webinar. But potential 25pc tariffs would likely apply only to durable goods, which account for about 10pc of Mexico's exports to the US, thanks to protections under the US-Mexico-Canada (USMCA) trade agreement that are likely to protect oil exports, he added. Fitch forecasts Mexico's economy to grow by just 1.1pc in 2025. But this estimate does not include the potential impact of tariffs, even if limited. Should they be implemented, these tariffs could shave 0.8 percentage points off GDP growth, potentially pushing the economy into near-zero growth or a contraction, Martinez said. The uncertainty surrounding the scope, timing, and duration of the tariffs adds to the economic risks. "These tariffs may also serve as a negotiation tool for broader bilateral issues," noted Shelly Shetty, managing director of sovereigns at Fitch Ratings. Exports to the US represent over 25pc of Mexico's annual GDP growth. Additionally, Mexico is home to the largest undocumented population in the US, at around 4.8mn individuals, according to Fitch. While Trump's return to the White House could disrupt Mexico's economy, domestic challenges also threaten growth. Martinez highlighted the judicial reform passed late last year, which will overhaul the judiciary by introducing popular elections for judges and supreme court justices between 2025 and 2027. This reform has already raised concerns among global investors. Mexico's governance index has worsened between 2012 and 2023, according to the World Bank. Fitch also noted that the ruling party Morena's supermajority in congress could further alarm international investors by introducing policies perceived as unfavorable to business. Fitch currently has Mexico's sovereign credit rating at BBB-, its lower medium investment grade, with a stable outlook. By Édgar Sígler Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Spotlight content
Browse the latest thought leadership produced by our global team of experts.
Argus tungsten market update and outlook – June 2024
This short video update outlines the key drivers impacting tungsten market fundamentals and pricing dynamics.
WhitePaper - 24/02/04Cobalt: Price mechanisms for an evolving market
Exploring the necessity for a transparent cobalt assessment to navigate the ever-growing demand from electrification.
Podcast - 23/11/06Metal Movers: Niobium's potential with WA1
Explore our specialty and minor metals products
