Molybdenum News Center

China May Cancel Export Quotas on Tungsten, Molybdenum

China said it is keeping export quotas on a clutch of industrial metals unchanged for 2015 but was silent on tungsten and molybdenum, leading to speculation exports of the two minor metals won't be subjected to quotas next year.

Quotas for exports of tin, antimony, indium and silver are unchanged from this year, according to a statement posted on the Ministry of Commerce website on Thursday.

But the statement did not provide quotas for tungsten and molybdenum, which were announced at the same time as the four metals in previous years. China is the world's top producer of tungsten and molybdenum, as well as refined tin, antimony and indium.

China may cancel the quotas for the two metals as a follow up action after it lost an appeal at the World Trade Organization in August, two analysts said.

The case was brought by the United States, the European Union and Japan to challenge China's restrictions on exports of rare earths, tungsten and molybdenum. China had argued that limits on the exports were needed to prevent over-mining and defended its policy as an essential part of its sustainable development.

"Not on the list should mean that the two metals are no longer carrying export quotas," said one of the analysts who works for a state-owned firm and declined to be named because of the sensitive nature of the matter.

Calls to a spokesman of the ministry after office hours were not answered.

Exports of tungsten and molybdenum could rise if the quota system for the two metals ended, said Wang Wei, analyst at information provider SMM.

In 2014, the quota for tungsten was 15,400 tonnes and for molybdenum was 25,000 tonnes.

Tungsten and molybdenum are used to harden other metals, including steel, for use in oil and chemical industries and military equipment.

The export quota for tin will stay at 17,000 tonnes next year and for antimony at 59,400 tonnes.

The 2015 quota for indium will continue at 231 tonnes and for silver at 5,387 tonnes.




More molybdenum product: http://www.molybdenum.com.cn
Tel: 0592-5129696 Fax：0592-5129797
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Tungsten & Molybdenum Information Bank: http://i.chinatungsten.com
Tungsten News & Tungsten Prices, 3G Version: http://3g.chinatungsten.com
Tungsten News & Tungsten Price: http://www.chinatungsten.com

• < Prev
• Next >