The silicon metal market price in China hit the bottom after dropping by CNY50 per ton after the turn of the year, rebounded by the same amount and now stabilized while remaining flat. The spot goods are a bit scarce in the market, but there is no definite increase in the demand and the contract at a high price is few. Besides, some market watchers have an anticipation of a price fall. Against a background of Chinese New Year holidays (18th to 24th of February) being near at hand and the fluctuations in the rate of foreign exchange becoming wide, both seller and buyers have been careful at the time ofnegotiation for export.

In Japan, the customers' psychological state has inclined to buy at a cheap price because of such weak demand as the selling at a cheap price taking place sporadically in the Japanese domestic market, no shortage in the customers' in-hand stock and no big consumption being expected during the period from January to March. For that reason, the price that can get a contract has been pushed down from the level in the end of the year, and dropped by around US$70 per ton.

• [Editor:tianxiao]