[Ferro-alloys.com]The price in China which showed a sign of having bottomed out again showed a sign of continuously becoming cheap. This is because the border security became strict due to the stabbing incident which occurred on the border between China and Vietnam on April 18, and the transportation across the border has almost been disrupted. Because of this, the quantity purchased in the Chinese market decreased and the demand and supply balance in the market again became a state of excess supply. The price meant for Japan also has been lowered by the decreased portion of the price in the Chinese market, and the contract price dropped by about US$10 from mid-April. 

As to cheap products of Chinese origin via the third country, the shortage of spot goods at a port in Vietnam became serious, which also makes the procurement in the Japanese market slightly difficult and the price has already gone up by US$20 - US$30. The cause for the shortage of spot goods is the supply shortage arising from the problems on the border between China and Vietnam, and therefore the fear has been voiced over the contract quantity and quality already sold out as May shipment. Meanwhile, the cargoes which could not cross the border are understood to be accumulated in the Chinese side of the border. Market watchers seem to see the resumption of crossing the border will be in June.

As to Russian products, the thin trading continues during April and the drop in the price of Chinese products regularly exported continues to drop, which resulted in the fact both offer and contract prices were weakened by about US$10 per ton. While the situations in Ukraine became aggravated and the economic sanction against Russia became expanded, it is becoming unclear what and how the case of antidumping duty on Russian ferro-silicon the International Trade Commission (ITC) of USA is investigating is going to be.

• [Editor:Phillip.Feng]