The increase took overall shipments for the last year to 407mn, slightly higher than a government-set target for the year of 400mn t.

The tungsten market runs smoothly;

The molybdenum market rise slightly;

The vanadium market appears cold slightly;

The 2105 ferrosilicon contract price on ZCE closed at 6740 yuan per ton on February 5.

China imported 3.57mn t of coking coal last month, down by 4pc from 3.72mn t in November but up by 110pc from December 2019.

As for the trend after the festival, many of the industry participants is optimistic, waiting for the market to further clarify.

The 2105 ferrosilicon contract price on ZCE closed at 7000 yuan per ton on February 4.