<> Silicon Metal = The price of silicon metal has continued to decline since late October, and the prices of both low-grade and high-grade products have fallen. The price of 553 grade as a low-grade product is down by CNY400 - CNY500 per ton from the end of October. As the application of a cheap electricity rate for a full-water season has been extended until the end of December in Yunnan whose production volume ranks first in addition to the weak demand in not only China but also the total Asia, there has been a situation no factor for price hike is found in the market. The FOB price for export is down by US$50 - US$80 per ton from the end of October, and that the feeling of anticipation of a price fall is also strong.

The price drop in the Chinese domestic market is in the midst of coming up to the surface with a bit time lag in the Japanese market, and the contract price of around US$1,650 was seen in early November, but the main contract price at the present moment is below US$1,620 owing to the price being shifted amply to a low price level.

<> Ferro-silicon = In China, the supply volume is down from October because of prolonged slumping price of ferro-silicon. However, the consumption among steel mills and the customers of magnesium metal is also down, and the demand and supply balance continues without any change. Albeit it is now about to be in the latter half of November with the same situation as the factors for price hike being scarce, the momentum to cut a price is less moderate than expected. This is due to the decrease in the ferro-silicon producers which made a sale at a cheap price, and it's been said that some of the producers which were previously forced to pay the electricity charge and the costs for raw materials in order to continue production have stopped operation completely and been not required to rush to convert products into cash. Such producers seem to have a policy to sell in-hand stocks by the piece and wait until the market makes a recovery. For a reference, as of November 13, the shipment of ferro-silicon from the port of Tianjin is still suspended, and it is not yet in sight when the shipment will be resumed.

The demand is weak also in the Japanese domestic market, and the customers' downward pressure on the price is strong, but the price cut stays at a small range partly due to a resistance from shippers. The price of regularly-exported products is down by US$10 per ton from the end of October.

The price of the products distributed in the market is down by US$20 - US$30 probably because the products whose price dropped in the Chinese market at the end of October flowed into the Japanese domestic market.

As to Russian products, both offer and contract prices were down by US$30 from the end of October in response to the weak demand and the mood of price cut in the market.

• [Editor:Sophie]