Molybdenum market update on May 13, 2025
The domestic molybdenum market in China maintains stable operations, with a mix of bullish and bearish factors leading to a generally neutral negotiation atmosphere between buyers and sellers. As a result, product prices show no significant changes, and order growth remains below ideal levels. Today, quoted prices for molybdenum concentrate, ferromolybdenum, and molybdenum powder are stabilizing at approximately 3,520 yuan/ton-degree, 229,000 yuan/ton, and 420 yuan/kg, respectively.
On the positive side: first, to prevent the illegal outflow of strategic minerals, China has called for enhanced cooperation between mainland and Hong Kong-Macau customs authorities to form a unified crackdown, ensuring national export control goals are met, which has bolstered molybdenum prices; second, steel companies are successively launching ferromolybdenum tenders with attractive prices, injecting positive signals into the market. On the negative side: first, a weak international molybdenum market hinders domestic market warming; second, amid a complex global economic situation and heightened geopolitical risks, traders are adopting cautious and conservative strategies, somewhat suppressing market activity.
According to the China Iron and Steel Association, in late April 2025, key monitored steel enterprises held 15.29 million tons of steel inventory, down 8.5% from the previous ten-day period, up 23.6% from the beginning of the year, up 0.4% from the same period last month, down 3.7% from the same period last year, and down 15.6% from the same period two years ago. By region, steel inventory decreased by 420,000 tons in Northeast China, 150,000 tons in North China, 460,000 tons in East China, 50,000 tons in Northwest China, 80,000 tons in Southwest China, and 250,000 tons in Central-South China.
Price of molybdenum products on May 13, 2025
Molybdenum crucible picture
