Fluorspar
Prices for acid-grade fluorspar (acidspar), 97% CaF2, are yielding to downward pressure from a number of influences, market sources informed IM in June.
One source said that it had received an offer of $345/tonne (ex works) for acid grade, and $277/tonne for 93% metallurgical grade (metspar) fluorspar FOB China, inclusive of 15% export duty.
This is down from $450-500/tonne and $365-385/tonne respectively.
Other market sources, however, cast doubt on these figures. “These prices sound like domestic ex works figures,” one source said. “Nobody [outside China] is buying fluorspar at these prices,” the source added.
A European source said that they were seeing prices for acidspar delivered into Europe currently at Û435-440/tonne FOB China, while a North American source placed prices around $100/tonne (€75/tonne) lower.
Another source, while dismissing the $345/tonne figure as too low, concurred that prices...