Ti surcharges down sharply in 1st qtr.

摘要

A key raw material surcharge for titanium has taken its biggest tumble in nearly two years, dampening expectations for a quick first-quarter pickup in mill product spot pricing. Monroe, N.C.-based Allvac Inc., a unit of Pittsburgh-based Allegheny Technologies Inc., has lowered its first-quarter raw material surcharge for benchmark aerospace alloy titanium 6 aluminum/4 vanadium bar and flat products to $5.64 per pound, down 15.4 percent from $6.67 in the fourth quarter of last year. It cut its first-quarter billet surcharge by 15.3 percent to $5.14 per pound.