Price of Tungsten Products on Jun. 16 2026
China’s tungsten market stayed relatively stable on June 16, 2026, with sluggish pre-holiday trading and a strong wait-and-see mood ahead of the Dragon Boat Festival. Cobalt powder eased on weaker battery and cemented carbide demand, while mainstream tungsten quotes held firm.
Tungsten prices remained relatively stable, with sluggish market transactions and a strong wait-and-see attitude among participants ahead of the Dragon Boat Festival. According to Chinatungsten Online, buyers, aside from essential purchases, were generally cautious about stockpiling, resulting in limited new orders.
Market overview: pre-holiday caution, mainstream quotes steady
Sellers believed that price reductions in the current market environment might not effectively attract increased purchases and could instead exacerbate panic among downstream buyers, while price increases also lacked demand acceptance. Therefore, mainstream market quotations remained generally stable in the short term, with actual transactions involving flexible negotiation within a certain range based on customer relationships, product quality differences and order size.
Cobalt prices have been under pressure recently. Demand for cobalt used in battery materials is expected to weaken as adjustments in the new energy vehicle and consumer electronics industry chains have slowed downstream procurement. At the same time, consumer enthusiasm in the cemented carbide sector is also weak, leading to relatively soft demand for cobalt powder and suppressing the overall market trend.
Auto-sector inventory adds to demand caution
According to Cui Dongshu, Secretary-General of the China Passenger Car Association, national passenger car inventory stood at 3.48 million vehicles at the end of May 2026, down 60,000 month-on-month but up 30,000 year-on-year, with manufacturer inventory accounting for 30.3%. Impacted by high oil prices, market satisfaction was low in May, and market optimism dropped to 31% in June. Current inventory supports sales for 66 days, presenting some pressure.
New energy vehicle inventory stood at 790,000 units, up 40,000 month-on-month but down 80,000 compared with May 2025, indicating significant overall inventory pressure in the industry. For carbide tool buyers, softer auto-sector sentiment reinforces the need to treat headline tungsten stability cautiously and confirm quote validity before holiday-related production slowdowns.
Price table — June 16, 2026 (Chinatungsten Online)
The following table summarizes the latest tungsten product prices reported by Chinatungsten Online as of press time. “From peak” and year-to-date changes follow the source text.
| Prodotto | Prezzo | Variazione YTD |
|---|---|---|
| 65% wolframite concentrate | RMB 525,000/ton | +14.1% YTD |
| 65% scheelite concentrate | RMB 524,000/ton | +14.2% YTD |
| Ammonium paratungstate (APT) | RMB 800,000/ton | +19.4% YTD |
| European APT | USD 2,900–3,180/mtu (≈ RMB 1,735,000–1,902,000)/ton (equiv.) | +230.4% YTD |
| Tungsten powder | RMB 1,280/kg | +18.5% YTD |
| Tungsten carbide powder | RMB 1,230/kg | +18.3% YTD |
| Cobalt powder | RMB 535/kg | +2.9% YTD |
| 70% ferrotungsten | RMB 780,000/ton | +20.0% YTD |
| European ferrotungsten | USD 200–235/kg W (≈ RMB 946,000–1,112,000)/ton (equiv.) | +58.2% YTD |
| Scrap tungsten carbide rods | RMB 780/kg | +30.0% YTD |
| Scrap tungsten carbide drill bits | RMB 730/kg | +25.9% YTD |
Fonte: Chinatungsten Online · YTD = variazione da inizio anno · WoW = settimana su settimana
What this means for solid carbide tool buyers
- Mainstream tungsten concentrates, APT and powders are unchanged from the prior session, but year-to-date gains remain substantial and continue to underpin carbide drill and end mill raw-material assumptions.
- Cobalt powder eased to RMB 535/kg, down from recent highs, which may offer modest relief for cobalt-bonded carbide grades but does not offset firm tungsten powder and WC powder levels.
- Pre-holiday wait-and-see trading limits new orders; buyers should confirm whether suppliers will maintain current quote validity through the Dragon Boat Festival period.
- Weak battery and auto-sector demand adds caution on downstream consumption, so prioritize essential carbide drill and end mill sizes rather than speculative stock building.
- Actual deals may still vary by relationship, quality and order size, so compare factory-direct quotes rather than relying only on headline price boards.
Procurement recommendation
Use the current stable quote window to refresh standard carbide tool cost assumptions, lock in repeat sizes with firm validity dates, and separate tungsten powder from cobalt powder trends in your sourcing review. If holiday slowdowns reduce spot liquidity, securing critical carbide drill, end mill and custom tooling orders before production resumes may reduce post-holiday repricing risk.
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Outlook
The tungsten market may stay range-bound through the Dragon Boat Festival unless a clear demand catalyst emerges. Cobalt weakness and high auto-sector inventory could keep broader industrial sentiment cautious, while tungsten sellers remain reluctant to cut quotes despite limited new orders.
Solid Carbide Direct will continue tracking tungsten concentrates, APT, tungsten powder, tungsten carbide powder, cobalt powder, ferrotungsten and scrap indicators to help machining buyers plan raw-material-sensitive tooling budgets.
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