China Henan shuts up to 240,000 T lead capacity

China's Henan, the top refined lead producing province in the country, has shut down up to 240,000 tonne of annual lead smelting capacity in recent days after lead poisoning was reported to have affected hundreds of children in Shaanxi province, smelter officials said on Monday.

"Three plants were shut on Sunday, with a monthly output 15,000-20,000 tonnes," a senior executive at a large lead smelter in Henan told Reuters. He added the closed capacity was in Jiyuan city.
A sales manager at a medium-size lead smelter in Henan said the provincial government had asked lead smelters to shut down capacity that did not meet national environmental standards in China, the world's top lead producer.
"About a third of the province's lead smelting capacity could be closed eventually," he said.
Henan has more than 1 million tonnes of lead smelting capacity and less than half have reached that standards, the manager estimated.
"There are increasing voices asking for closure," a trade manager at a major lead smelter in Henan said.
He added the provincial government had not issued an official document to force smelter closing such capacity but given verbal requests.
Henan produced a third of China's refined lead at 600,996 tonnes in the first half, up 9.13 percent, according to the China Nonferrous Metals Industry Association.
China's fourth-biggest zinc producer Dongling Group is maintaining full production at two zinc lines with combined annual capacity of 150,000 tonnes in Shaanxi province, after shutting a 100,000-tonne lead and zinc plant blamed by locals for being a source of lead poisoning.

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Antimony trioxide,Antimony ingot,antimony metals market summary Aug 17-21

BEIJING (Asian Metal) 24 Aug 09 - Weak demand dominates antimony ingot and antimony trioxide market in the week. Producers try to attract more buyers by cutting down offers, but most end users and traders still hold watch-and-wait attitudes.

Major antimony ingot producers reduce offers to RMB40,500/t (USD5,930/t) ex works from previous RMB41,000/t (USD6,003/t) ex works to attract buyers, but demand continues to be low. Some consumers reported to have purchased antimony ingot at RMB39,200-39,300/t (USD5,739-5,754/t) ex works for the production of antimony trioxide. Meanwhile, some small smelters also lower offers to RMB35,500/t ex works VAT excluded owing to weak demand, but they do not intend to decrease the price further because antimony concentrate price lingers at high levels. Some producers reported that the price of antimony concentrate 20-30%min stands at RMB25,000-26,000 (USD3,660-3,807/t) per metal tons ex works and some suppliers offer as high as RMB30,000 (USD4,392/t) per metal tons ex works for antimony concentrate 50%min. For fear that the antimony price may drop, antimony ingot producers are cautious about purchasing raw material.

Antimony trioxide market also keeps dull and the price has seen a decrease over the week affected by sluggish demand. Some producers who offered RMB36,000/t (USD5,271/t) ex works or higher prices in the previous week lower offers to RMB35,300-35,500/t (USD5,168-5,198/t) ex works and some reportedly concluded deals at around RMB35,000/t ex works.

The export market for antimony ingot remains stagnant with foreign buyers absent for holidays. As Chinese domestic price for the material declines slightly, participants expect the export price to go down accordingly. Some suppliers no longer make offers because there are few buyers in the market. However, major exporters claimed they would not accept prices lower than USD6,300/t FOB Chinese main ports.

Due to the price decrease of antimony trioxide domestically, some suppliers start to make lower offers for the material to foreign buyers. Some of them cut down offers to USD5,200-5,300/t FOB China from previous USD5,300-5,400/t FOB Chinese main ports, but few deals are being closed in the market.

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Electrolytic Manganese Metal Flakes

We are able to offer the following Electrolytic Manganese Metal Flakes price from China

Origin: China

Electrolytic Manganese Metal Flakes
- Specification:Mn:99.7%min, S:0.05%max, P:0.005%max, C:0.04%max.Fe+Se+Si : 0,205%max,Size : Flakes
- Original: P. R. of China
- Packing: Packed in 50kgs or 100kgs Iron Drum
- Price:  CIF ROTTERDAM 2700usd/mt.
- Payment Term: 20% T/T advance + the balance 80% T/T against copy of B/L.
- Delivery time: Within 30 days after seller receiving the advance payment.
- Min. Order: 24 tons per FCL.
- Validity: 22 August, 2009.

Price and availability subject to confirmation. This price quoted supersedes all previous prices.
CNF prices also available, please email us for further details:

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China's Rare Earth Development Plan to Benefit Leading Metals Firms

BEIJING, Aug. 13 -- According to China's newly drafted plan for rare earth sector, the government will give key supports to the domestic three metals enterprises for their rare earth development, analysts say.

The three enterprises are Inner Mongolia Baotou Steel Rare-earth Hi-tech Co., China Minmetals Corporation and Jiangxi Copper Corporation.

However, the stockpiling policy for rare earth products can hardly be formulated, they note.

A senior official with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology noted that China would control rare earth output to promote the industry's sustainable development.

An insider revealed that Baotou Steel Rare-earth Hi-tech Co. will get the government's support for its resource distribution as well as the refining technology upgrading.

Now the National Development and Reform Commission is preparing to establish a national rare earth association which is expected to push forward merger and acquisition (M&A) of the domestic rare earth resources.

About 80 percent of small- and mid-size enterprises may quit the rare earth exploration in the M&A, the analysts predict.

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Lead Poisoning Spurs Relocation from Northwest China Smelting Plant

BEIJING, Aug. 14 -- Authorities in northwest China have begun work on a scheme to relocate at least 1,000 people living near a smelting plant suspected of discharging waste that caused lead poisoning in more than 600 children.

The government of Fengxiang County, in Shaanxi Province, began building new homes Thursday for 425 families living within a radius of 500 meters of Dongling Lead and Zinc Smelting Co. in Changqing town.

The residents were expected to move to the new community, about a kilometer from their current homes, within two years, said He Hongnian, deputy county head. He didn't say how much the construction would cost.

Pu Yiming, chief of Changqing town, said the cost would largely be shared by the county government and local businesses.

"I'm ready to move, the earlier the better, as long as the new place has water, electricity and easier access to transport," said Lu Tao, who lives 100 meters from the smelting plant.

Under the relocation plan, initiated before the plant was opened in 2006, the residents should have moved already. Officials with the county government said the delay was caused by "readjustments in the overall planning of the Changqing industrial park."The delay, however, may have endangered the health of residents since 6-year-old Miao Fan was diagnosed with gastritis resulting from lead ingestion in late July.

Miao's case sparked widespread fear among residents, who rushed their children to hospital for blood tests.

In government-funded tests by industrial illness specialists in Xi'an Central Hospital this week, 615 children -- about 85 percent of all the 731 children aged under 14 that were tested -- had excessive lead levels in their blood.

Of them, 166 children were admitted to hospital as their blood-lead levels exceeded 250 milligram per liter, compared with the normal level of zero to 100 mg per liter. In the worst three cases, levels exceeded 450 mg per liter.

The county government has promised to cover all their medical expenses. For other children being treated at home, the government would provide milk, dried vegetables and nuts, which are believed to help expel excessive lead from the body, said official He Hongnian.

The smelting plant belongs to Dongling Group, one of the biggest private companies in Shaanxi Province. The plant in Changqing town began operating in 2006, producing lead, zinc and coke. It directly accounted for 17 percent of the county's GDP last year.

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Antimony Trioxide Twinkling Star Brand

Antimony Trioxide Twinkling Star Brand

We have pleasure in giving you our present price as follow:
    1;Price: FOB HUANGPU 5350USD/MT
     2,Product: Antimony Trioxide 99.5%MIN,
    3,Specification:Antimony Trioxide Twinkling Star Brand
    4,Packing: Packed in 25kgs Kraft paper bags with the inner of PE bag, 1000kgs on wooden pallet with plastic-film protection.
    5,Minimum order quantity: 20MT in FCL
    6,payment terms: 30% advance payment within three working days after signed the contract, balance by T/T within Five working days after receive the copy of B/L.
    7,Shipment:Prompt shipment.the goods is ready for shipment in Huangpu port.China.
    8,Validity of quotation: for 3 days.

If you have any question, please don't hesitate to ask. 

Looking forward to hearing from you soon and establish Long-Term cooperative relationship with you.

Thanks and Best regards.

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Nickel oxide participants watch the future market

BEIJING (Asian Metal) 5 Aug 09 – Supported by the continuous stocks market rise, 3-month nickel on LME rose sharply by USD880/t to USD18,830/t this Monday, creating a new record in 2009. According to nickel suppliers, the whole market is a bit active, and more buyers come to nickel market. They are not clear whether nickel market will go up further or not, and worry that nickel price will retreat again. However, with the global economy recovering and the commodity market warming up, participants predict that there is little room for nickel market to retreat again. They will continue to watch the future market.
A Shanghai-based nickel trader claimed that they sold around five tons of nickel of Norilsk brand at RMB141,000/t (USD20,644/t) this Tuesday, around RMB6,000/t (USD878/t) higher than the price on Monday. According to the source, they received more inquiries and most people only came to test the market. It is a question whether nickel price will go up further, but the news that another nickel mine has been closed also supported nickel price to some extent. The whole economy sees improvement and the market confidence is recovering.
"It is normal that nickel price continues to rebound and we predict that 3-month nickel on LME is probable to rise up to USD20,000/t in the following days," said the source, adding that demand from stainless steel plants is expected to become active in October. They will continue to hold wait-and-see attitudes towards the future market.
A nickel trader from Fujian also confirmed that they received more inquiries from customers, and most of buyers were still cautious to replenish stocks. According to the source, They sold around five tons of nickel of Inco brand at RMB157,000/t (USD22,987/t) on Monday, rising by RMB6,000/t (USD878/t) compared to this Monday. The source is confident in nickel price rebound in the following days, as they got information that global financial crisis may touch the bottom, and the commodity market will become active in the following days.
"Nickel price is likely to retreat slightly, but the whole trend will be upward," said the source, who also disclosed that the bank credit is easy to apply for now, so more investors can get more capital and continue to hold nickel stocks. Nickel market is possible to go up further.

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