Specialty and minor metals
Overview
As demand for semi-conductors, touch-screens and other highly engineered products continues to grow, manufactures rely on the Argus metals price data and reliable market intelligence to track volatility and specialty materials and manage their impact on production costs.
Argus covers electronic, light and high-temperature metals, as well as specialist alloys and rare earths, through Argus Non-Ferrous Markets, Argus Battery Materials and the Argus Rare Earths Analytics service.
Electronic metals
Argus delivers transparent price data, market news and analysis across base metals, minor metals and battery materials to allow downstream participants to achieve a sustainable supply of electronic metals and reduce their exposure to price risk, all while researching and tracking individual materials in their components.
- Arsenic prices
- Bismuth prices
- Gallium prices
- Germanium prices
- Indium prices
- Selenium prices
- Tantalum prices
- Tellurium prices
- Zirconium prices
Light metals
Argus is the leader in light metals price data and serves the most active consuming regions globally in aerospace, automotive and other highly engineered industries. Manufacturers of alloyed materials and light metals benefit from both primary and scrap material coverage in the Argus suite of products.
High-temperature metals
Some materials necessitate higher temperature and corrosion resistance beyond that offered by carbon steel, these often rely on a proprietary blend of alloyed materials. Argus worked closely with manufacturers to develop the Alloy Calculator tool, a one-stop solution for estimating the current value of raw materials in their specific composition to price even the most specific blends of alloys to be priced in primary and scrap form.
- Chromium prices
- Cobalt prices
- Hafnium prices
- Molybdenum prices
- Niobium prices
- Rhenium prices
- Tantalum prices
- Tungsten prices
- Tungsten outlooks
- Vanadium prices
Highlights of specialty metals coverage
- Independent reference prices for highly illiquid markets and niche materials
- Brings transparency to markets with few global suppliers but increasing global demand
- Exchange data with 30-minute delay standard and the option to add real-time
- Twice weekly global bulk alloys, noble alloys and steel feedstock prices
- Comprehensive global electronic metals price assessments
- High-temperature metals price assessments, including full scope of tungsten coverage with optional short and long-term forecasting
- Light metals including a suite of titanium and aerospace-grade price assessments
- Rare earths prices assessments with short and long-term forecasts
- Electronic vehicle and aerospace raw materials coverage, including highly engineered components and structural materials
- Coverage of supply chain issues, including demand, capacity, risks to responsible sourcing and supply
- Alloy Calculator tool allows easy identification of cost implications for material substitutions in any alloyed metals
- Synthetic prices can be created in the Alloy Calculator to provide material value in the absence of spot market assessments
Spotlight content
Browse the latest thought leadership produced by our global team of experts.
US stainless scrap exports drop in February
US stainless scrap exports drop in February
Houston, 8 April (Argus) — US exports of stainless steel scrap declined by 21pc in February from a year earlier, led by reduced volumes to Taiwan, Canada and the Netherlands. Total US stainless steel exports dropped to nearly 21,300 metric tonnes in February from about 27,100t a year earlier, according to customs data. India remained the largest US export destination for US stainless scrap even as shipments declined by 7.2pc to about 11,100t in February from about 11,900t a year earlier. Volumes to the Netherlands contributed the most to February's decline, with stainless scrap shipments reported at only 35t, dropping from about 3,000t a year earlier. Substantial declines to Taiwan and Canada also contributed to the overall drop, with volumes exported to Taiwan of about 1,800t, down from about 3,900t from a year prior. Meanwhile, the US exported nearly 2,000t to Canada, falling from about 3,500t the same period last year. The trend of falling stainless steel scrap exports is expected to continue in March as domestic scrap remains tight and processors compete for available volumes, causing prices to remain higher than comparable export prices. By Pete J. Stavretis Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
New medical device demand to disrupt rhenium market
New medical device demand to disrupt rhenium market
London, 8 April (Argus) — Superalloys have been the primary source of rhenium demand over the past two decades, but new medical applications have the potential to disrupt the market. Several molybdenum-rhenium (MoRe) alloy medical devices have been approved by the US Food and Administration (FDA) over the past 18 months and demand is growing fast, delegates at the Minor Metals Trade Association (MMTA) annual conference in Lisbon heard today. China has been hoovering up much of the global supply of rhenium, which is primarily produced by Molymet in Chile, for its burgeoning aerospace manufacturing industry. China surpassed the US as the largest importer of rhenium from Chile in 2023, taking 26t — up from 2t in 2018 — according to UK-based trading firm Lipmann Walton. That was equivalent to Molymet's annual primary production. The US has historically been the largest importer for its aerospace industry, with aerospace superalloys typically accounting for around 75pc of overall rhenium demand. But the aerospace industry will increasingly need to compete with the medical industry for supply over the coming years, several speakers said. Mo50 Re alloy, which contains 47.5pc rhenium and 52.5pc molybdenum, has been cleared by the FDA for use in spinal implants, and more recently cardiovascular stents. MiRus, which is developing spine, limb and structural heart disease treatments using its MoRe alloys, received FDA clearance of the first MoRe-based spine implant in 2019 and has since received further approvals for its devices. "It takes up to 10 years for medical approvals, but now approved, the demand from this sector alone could be as much as the largest premium producer makes in any given year," Lipmann Walton managing director Suzannah Lipmann said. Rhenium-based alloys have been associated with high-temperature applications, but they continue to find new uses at body temperature that benefit from its mechanical strength, fatigue resistance and biological performance as an alternative to traditional stainless steel, titanium, nickel-titanium and cobalt-chromium alloys used in medical implants. MoRe implants have so far not shown the allergic reactions that can results from nickel, cobalt or chromium implants. "It's one thing to have the approval for a new design, for a new type of instrument based upon traditional materials, but it's a totally different thing to have the approval for a new material," Molymet's research director Edgardo Cisternas. "This is a major milestone that opens the door for the use of this material. It's already being used in spinal and coronary surgeries, and probably will set new standards for bio-operability." Rhenium alloys show promise for the design of a new generation of smaller, stronger and more fatigue-resistant foot and ankle implants, which result in faster recovery and better outcomes for patients, Titan International's chief technical officer Alex Iasnikov said. Traditional devices have a tendency to break over time, at a rate of up to 10pc, requiring replacement, Iasnikov said. But rhenium-containing implants are more robust and have shown zero breakage rates in initial testing. MoRe stents can absorb more radiation than traditional alloys, making them easier to implant more precisely and safely. "With our ageing population around the world, this is going to result in big demand," Iasnikov said. "We believe that demand for this can grow very substantially, and I wouldn't be surprised if in 10 years it might disrupt markets." Growing demand for rhenium, driven by megatrends such as medicine, electronics and green hydrogen refining, in addition to Chinese aerospace manufacturing, could lift prices to levels that would spur increased recycling, speakers said. This is particularly the case as annual output from the world's four major primary producers is set to remain relatively stable, given reductions in copper and molybdenum concentrate content in legacy ore bodies and a lack of new mining capacity in development. By Nicole Willing Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
UK rows back ZEV mandate for hybrids
UK rows back ZEV mandate for hybrids
London, 7 April (Argus) — The UK government has pushed back its zero emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate for hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) to 2035 from 2030, and has committed to support carmakers following the imposition of trade barriers by the US last week. The original ZEV cut-off point of 2030, one of Europe's most ambitious, will still apply to sales of cars powered by gasoline and diesel, but will be extended to 2035 for HEVs. The government will now also let carmakers continue using low-emission non-ZEVs to earn credits toward their ZEV sales targets until 2029, instead of ending this arrangement in 2026. This means they can offset some of their current ZEV requirements with cleaner non-ZEV sales, effectively pushing part of their ZEV sales obligations past the original mandate deadlines. Transport secretary Heidi Alexander said the changes were made "in the face of global economic challenges". The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) welcomed the changes, saying the government had "rightly listened to industry" and responded quickly to the change in global dynamics. Over the weekend, Jaguar Land-Rover paused exports to the US while it digested the impact of President Donald Trump's tariffs. "Given the potentially severe headwinds facing manufacturers following the introduction of US tariffs, greater action will almost certainly be needed to safeguard our industry's competitiveness. UK-US negotiations must continue at pace," SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes said. Competition concerns Other industry groups said delaying the mandate could lead to a loss of competitiveness in the long term transition to EVs. "Its dilution is in stark contrast to the accelerating ambition of the Chinese and others. UK-based automakers need to fully embrace battery electric or be significantly diminished in time, running the risk of continued job losses," said Dan Caesar, chief executive of Electric Vehicles UK, an industry association based in London. Some were more resigned, recognising the need to allow room for carmakers to transition and consumers to gain access to low priced vehicles — especially at a time of elevated trade tensions. "We understand the pressure British car makers face and welcome the government's declaration of support," said Quentin Wilson, founder of EV advocacy group FairCharge. "While we don't agree that hybrids mainly powered by a combustion engine should be included in the ZEV mandate until 2035, we do understand the reasons why, along with increased flexibilities until 2029." By Thomas Kavanagh UK car registrations by fuel Fuel type Feb-25 Feb-24 % Change % Market share 2025 % Market share 2024 BEV 21,244 14,991 41.7 25 17.7 Plug-in hybrid vehicles 7,273 6,098 19.3 9 7.2 Hybrid EVs 11,431 10,591 7.9 14 12.5 Petrol 39,865 48,211 -17.3 47 56.8 Diesel 4,241 4,995 -15.1 5 5.9 Total 84,054 84,886 -1.0 — SMMT UK BEV monthly market shares, govt targets % Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Sigma Lithium hits 1Q production, sales goals
Sigma Lithium hits 1Q production, sales goals
Sao Paulo, 7 April (Argus) — Sigma Lithium hit its first quarter lithium concentrate production and sales targets in Brazil after a sizeable deal with a UAE-owned company. Sigma produced 68,300 metric tonnes (t) of lithium oxide concentrate in the first quarter, after agreeing to sell 76,000t to International Resources Holding (IRH), a metals and critical minerals trading company owned by the Royal Group of Abu Dhabi, the firm said in a press release. Sigma shipped 47,000t — its first of two batches to the company — in early March, with a following 29,000t scheduled to be shipped this week. Following the sale, the company achieved a 2.8pc increase in volumes over the previous quarter. Although undisclosed, Sigma's chief executive Ana Cabral said that the company beat its sales targets for the period. The company operates the fifth-largest lithium oxide mining complex in the world, which is expected to produce 300,000t of the mineral compound this year . Sigma anticipates to achieve all of its quarterly production targets for 2025. By Pedro Consoli Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
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