Silicon metal highlights

摘要

Silicon metal prices in Europe and the USA have persistently pushed higher in December in line with worries about future supply. Market participants are expecting limited supplies in the first quarter of 2007. Recent activity has been focused on longer-term sales as the volume of spot business has been very low. European prices have been boosted by a number of factors including: a permanent drop in Norwegian output, pending maintenance closures in France, and potential power-related production stops in Norway in the northern hemisphere winter.