Ferro Vanadium Price in China: FeV50 Trend Through Mid-May 2023
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Ferro vanadium of the FeV50 grade traded higher as May 2023 progressed. Mainstream transactions were recorded at RMB 113,000-116,000 per tonne on May 18, RMB 115,000-117,000 on May 19 and RMB 117,000-118,000 on May 22, all expressed in units of RMB 10,000 per tonne on an acceptance-tax basis.
FeV50 Ferro Vanadium Prices Recorded in Mid-May 2023
| Grade | Date | Mainstream transaction (RMB 10,000/tonne) | Equivalent (RMB/tonne) |
|---|---|---|---|
| FeV50 | May 18 | 11.3-11.6 | 113,000-116,000 |
| FeV50 | May 19 | 11.5-11.7 | 115,000-117,000 |
| FeV50 | May 22 | 11.7-11.8 | 117,000-118,000 |
The table covers a single grade, so the three lines are a time series rather than a spread across qualities. The published unit is RMB 10,000 per tonne, and the recorded basis is the acceptance-tax price, which is the level at which business is done with the value-added tax included and settlement made by bank acceptance bill.
How the Three Sessions Moved
Every line in the series is above the one before it. Between May 18 and May 19 the floor of the range rose from RMB 113,000 to RMB 115,000 per tonne, an increase of RMB 2,000, while the ceiling rose from RMB 116,000 to RMB 117,000, an increase of RMB 1,000. The same pattern repeated after the May 20-21 weekend: the May 22 floor came in at RMB 117,000, another RMB 2,000 higher, and the ceiling added a further RMB 1,000 to reach RMB 118,000. Two consequences follow from those numbers. First, the midpoint of the range moved from RMB 114,500 to RMB 116,000 to RMB 117,500 per tonne, a steady RMB 1,500 step each time. Second, the width of the range narrowed from RMB 3,000 on May 18 to RMB 2,000 on May 19 and RMB 1,000 on May 22, which shows buyers and sellers converging on a narrower band of acceptable levels as the market strengthened.
What FeV50 Contains and Why It Is Added
The designation refers to the nominal vanadium content of the alloy, so FeV50 carries about 50% vanadium with iron forming most of the balance. Vanadium is added to steel at very small levels to raise strength without a large loss of ductility, because the element forms fine precipitates that pin the movement of grain boundaries. That behaviour is the basis of micro-alloyed and high-strength low-alloy steel production, where vanadium is used in reinforcing bar, structural sections, pipeline steel, forging stock and spring steel. Outside the steel plant, vanadium-bearing material also feeds catalyst production and battery chemistry, while the alloy itself is a convenient way to introduce a controlled amount of vanadium into a heat because it dissolves cleanly in liquid steel.
Reading the Acceptance-Tax Price Basis
An acceptance-tax quotation differs from a cash quotation in two ways. The tax part means the figure already includes the applicable value-added charge, so it can be compared with other tax-inclusive offers but not with an untaxed price. The acceptance part means the supplier expects settlement through a bank acceptance bill at maturity rather than immediate funds, and the price reflects that deferral. For a buyer modelling landed cost, the practical rule is to compare like with like: two offers are only comparable when both the tax treatment and the settlement instrument match. It also pays to keep the published unit in mind, because the series is written in RMB 10,000 per tonne, so a move of 0.1 in the table equals RMB 1,000 per tonne of alloy.
Quality, Sizing and Packaging Points for Buyers
Because ferro vanadium enters the steel at a low addition rate, small differences in the delivered analysis matter more than the tonnage of alloy suggests, so the chemical composition is normally specified and checked against the certificate for each parcel. Particle size distribution is the second control point, since the size fraction determines how quickly the alloy dissolves and how much is lost to the slag. Suppliers offer a range of compositions and size fractions, and packaging is normally chosen from bags, drums or similar protective containers to keep the material intact and dry between the plant and the furnace. Continuous supply depends on the supplier holding a stable raw material position, which is why buyers who use vanadium on a regular schedule tend to fix both the specification and the delivery pattern rather than buying on analysis alone.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What was the FeV50 ferro vanadium price in mid-May 2023?
Mainstream transactions ran from RMB 113,000-116,000 per tonne on May 18 to RMB 115,000-117,000 on May 19 and RMB 117,000-118,000 on May 22.
Q: What basis were those prices quoted on?
They are acceptance-tax prices, published in units of RMB 10,000 per tonne, with value-added tax included and settlement by bank acceptance bill.
Q: How much did the price rise over the period?
The floor of the range moved up by RMB 4,000 per tonne and the ceiling by RMB 2,000, taking the range midpoint from RMB 114,500 to RMB 117,500.
Q: Did the trading range widen or narrow?
It narrowed, from RMB 3,000 per tonne on May 18 to RMB 2,000 on May 19 and RMB 1,000 on May 22.
Q: What does FeV50 mean?
It is the grade designation for ferro vanadium with a nominal vanadium content of about 50%, with iron making up most of the remainder.
Q: Where is ferro vanadium used?
It is used to add vanadium to micro-alloyed and high-strength low-alloy steels such as reinforcing bar, structural sections, pipeline steel and spring steel, and in catalyst and battery applications.
