All-time high ferro alloy prices reflect supply concerns

“The current market scenario is expected to remain same for sometime reflecting increased purchasing activity due to excess order booking and tendering order quantity taken by the ferro alloys manufacturers.”

- Devanand Chauragade

Prices for all ferroalloys have maintained their upward momentum since January, solidifying previous gains and reflecting the continuous improved demand from steelmakers, rebuilding of depleted inventories and the supply-side concerns following both planned and unplanned outages.

Prices are strong for Silico Manganese, Ferro Manganese, Ferro Chrome and Ferro Silicon.

Prices are at the highest levels in the ferroalloy markets till time, reflecting the magnitude of supply concerns in the context of demand recovery from steelmakers. The current market scenario is expected to remain same for sometime reflecting increased purchasing activity due to excess order booking and tendering order quantity taken by the ferroalloys manufacturers.

There is more scope for increased steel production and steel product prices are expected to remain firm through 2021, particularly when effective Covid-19 vaccine becomes widely available.

Europe’s huge financial stimulus package is also scheduled to be ratified and released by mid-2021, which should boost metals demand on a raft of expected infrastructure projects in the region.

In a strong start to the year, January saw alloy pricing gaining across all markets with some exceptions.

The combination of improving demand together with limited supplies and low inventories in most markets has been driving ore and alloy prices higher.