General gumph10 Apr 2018 22:13
The USA’s Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) sold 345k lbs of contained tungsten ores and concentrates in March 2018 with a value of US$5.03M (equivalent to US$15/lb or US$34/kg), representing slight increases on volumes sold in February and in January.
The value of sales also rose during Q1, growing from an equivalent of US$31/kg in January 2018 and surging from US$20/kg in February 2017. Total sales in calendar year 2017 were nearly 1,562t contained tungsten ores and concentrates, while fiscal year sales were 1,240t from a maximum available of 1,359t (3M lbs).
Roskill view: The customers for the March 2018 sales were US-based Comsup Commodities Inc, Global Tungsten & Powders Corp, and Veritas Alloys & Metals LLC, while the UK’s Wogen Resources was also awarded material.
Sales of tungsten ores and concentrates resumed in fiscal year 2017 following no awards in FY 2016. Although the DLA had outlined a maximum of 3M lbs for sale in its annual materials plan (AMP) that FY, it did not receive legislative authority. The FY 2018 AMP outlines maximum tungsten ores and concentrates sales of 3M lb.